I'll be Home for Christmas
by The Green Lady
Summary: 16 year old Sirius Black runs away from home right before the holidays. With London at his feet and Christmas fast approaching…this is his reflection of the adventure.
1. The Wrath of Walburga Black

_"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth….Besides, I'm not going to tell you my whole goddamn autobiography or anything. I'll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas…" -The Catcher in the Rye_

**Chapter One-The Wrath of Walburga Black**

* * *

If I had known how much trouble I was going to be in for hexing Regulus, I probably wouldn't have done it.

On second thought, maybe I still would have. All I know is that if there is a proper place for this story to start, it would be there.

Regulus was a gormless bastard. He had always been so. See, when my parents had him, they put all their efforts into brainwashing him from the start. Already at 3 years old I was too rebellious for my own good as a Black. They were already getting frightened by my behavior and so they started using me as an example of "what could happen to their child". They brainwashed the little prince from the start.

When he had been born I had honestly been really excited. I had always wanted to be a brother, but a few short years showed that Regulus not only enjoyed my parent's attention, but played off of it at my expense.

At any rate, this is where the story starts…Christmas break of my 6th year of Hogwarts. My parents had made me come home and let me tell you I was miserable. I hated our house. It was cold and gloomy, there were elf heads hanging in the hall, dark, ornate chandeliers, creepy rooms that you could walk into and would never come out again from in one piece, Kreacher… our family's sickening obedient house elf - and of course my insane family.

Since I had arrived on the train station of Platform 9 ¾ I had been doing nothing but brooding. I'm the king of brooding by the way. When I'm mad I can shoot such a nasty look to people-it makes them back off and leave me alone, which is a good thing sometimes for when you want a little piece of mind or whatever.

At any rate, since the bloody train station I had the nastiest look on my face, and had avoided all contact and conversation with my family by staying up in my room for several days. But one day, about a week from Christmas, I crept out to sneak into the kitchens for a bite to eat. Luckily I avoided Kreacher who from the sounds of it was getting scolded by mother for serving her lukewarm tea.

It was on the way back however when the disaster sprung. Regulus was walking in the hall, right in my direction.

He ignored me at home and school most of the time. At 13 years old he acted as though he owned the place. He walked around, his nose in the air-sneering down at everyone-including his older brother.

Well what would you have done? The opportunity was perfect. I stuck my foot out as he passed me and he tripped flat on his face.

I laughed softly to myself as I kept striding on down the hall.

"You think you're so tough don't you?" Regulus spat as he scrambled to his feet behind me.

I stopped and turned around. "Are we comparing me to you? Because in that case yes, Regulus because anything is tougher then you."

Regulus sneered at me, obviously trying to bide time in order to think of a good comeback. I was not only the king of brooding, but also the king of comebacks…it might not always be a good one, but at least I could throw something at someone within the blink of an eye. Living in the Black house I learned quickly that the best way to spar with someone is to toughen up verbally.

"If you're so tough then why do you mope around the house all the time? Do you miss your friends?" He said the last part of it in an irritating, sing-song baby voice.

"I mope around the house because your ugly face is under the same roof I am, and if that's not enough for someone to want to kill themselves then I don't know what is." I snarled.

Regulus looked at me smugly. "That's not my face Sirius-you've just caught your own reflection in the mirror again."

"You goddamn idiotic git." I said loudly. I was pissed now-this is why I had been so mad over coming home. Shit like this seemed to happen all the time here and I felt lousy enough without Regulus's stupid comments.

A sly smile spread across Regulus's face. He knew he had gotten to me. "If it really bothers you that badly, perhaps you'll feel better if you write a letter to your mudblood loving friends."

He had crossed the forbidden line. Enraged I whipped out my wand and shouted, "Fuscigorus!"

Regulus had his wand out too in a flash, "Protego!" he bellowed.

The spell rebounded and I jumped to the side to avoid it. It was a pity that Regulus had defended himself so quickly. I so desperately wanted to see him covered in yellow pus. "Conjuctivus!"

Regulus sent a backfiring jinx back at me and I set up a shield charm which caused the spell to rebound and smash into one of the many portraits on the wall, this one of my stern-faced great grandmother: Violetta Bulstrode who gave a loud shriek as she fell over backwards out of the frame.

"Petrificus totalus!" Regulus cried waving his wand furiously at me.

"Oh come on!" I laughed loudly as I deflected it. "Is that the best you can do?"

"Stupefy!" Regulus yelled.

"Relashio!" I retorted. The two spells met in midair, mine sending sparks, and ricocheted, sending more shrieks of fear from the portraits.

"Incendio!" Regulus said. To be perfectly honest, I was amazed he even knew that spell. I suppose one of his older, nasty Slytherin friends taught it to him.

Blue flames licked me on all sides but my surprise was short-lived. I quickly used a flame-freezing charm and stepped out of the flames to an off-guard Regulus.

"Furnunculus!" I said lazily.

Angry, pus filled boils sprang up all over Regulus. He let out a cry of pain and waved his wand at me furiously.

"Expelliarmus." I sighed and his wand flew out of his hand. He spun around ready to run and get it until I waved my wand again.

"Impedimenta."

Regulus struggled in vain to keep moving but looked as though he were being dragged down by invisible ropes.

"Who's got the ugly face now?" I asked coolly as I walked over to him and stood nearby watching his struggle in amusement.

"You…bastard!" he snarled.

I smiled. "I could say the same of you…I suppose that's the one thing we'll actually both have in common."

I raised my wand again, ready to hit him with another good hex when suddenly I felt myself thrown up against the wall by another spell.

I looked about half-stunned and in confusion until I saw to my dismay, my mother- Walburga Black standing in the middle of the shadowy hall, wand out, looking livid.

"Mum!" Regulus gasped from the floor.

She looked down at him, her pale thin face emotionless. She looked around the hall at the damaged portraits and then right at me. "What…" she hissed, her narrowed eyes-daggers. "is going on here?"

I knew what Regulus was going to say as soon as he could-blame it on me and so I let him out of bored laziness because this certainly wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

"Sirius attacked me!" he exclaimed, his voice just the right note and tone…damn that kid was good. He could make his voice sound as if he were in much more pain than he actually was, he could look like he was fearful of his older brother standing over him and put up a very good show of total innocence.

He always fooled everyone…my parents, always…but never me. I knew exactly how he was going to act and behave each time…which route he would take to get out of trouble today? Would it be the brave little martyr this time? Or perhaps the ashamed equal? Either way, he still got off clean each time, it disgusted me, and it was always my hide that was in danger.

My mother did not react to this statement...she obviously had expected it. She continued to stare at me as if I were a disgusting, filthy insect…or like a venomous slug. "Why did you attack your brother Sirius Orion Black?"

No, 'is that true Sirius?' or 'would you care to explain that, Sirius?' She had never done that before so it wasn't like she was going to now. This was one of the other things that made me so angry in this house. The injustice of asking Regulus and taking his word against mine without even caring if I had a different opinion drove me mad.

"Because he's a spineless little git." I said irritably.

My mother's eyes flashed dangerously. "What did you say?"

"MY…BROTHER…IS...A…SPINELESS…GIT!" I bellowed as if I were talking to a deaf person.

My mother slashed her wand through the air and I felt as if I had been knocked over the head with a club. I tottered about unsteadily-the breath from my lungs gone- and collapsed against the wall in a crumpled heap.

"DON'T YOU DARE EVER USE THAT TONE OF VOICE AGAIN WITH ME YOUNG MAN!" my mother shrieked. If there was one thing I had in common with that bitch it was that we both had very short and terrible tempers.

There was a shuffling noise nearby as Kreacher arrived on the scene, peering out at me from behind the folds of my mother's black dress. He gave a crooked smile, he loved watching me get bullied by mother since she bullied him the rest of the time.

Regulus stumbled to his feet and my mother glanced at his face carelessly. "Go upstairs darling and see your father." She commanded him in a voice as cold as ice.

Regulus knew when an explosion was about to take place, I'll give him that much. He hurried down the hall and up the dark stairs without another word or glance at me.

My Mother stood there opposite me, breathing hard through her flared nostrils.

I said nothing but stared back at her, breathing heavily myself-hatred coursing through my veins at the very sight of her.

"You should be ashamed of yourself." My mother said angrily.

"I'm not." I said defiantly.

"He's younger brother, and you should set a good example in front of him."

"He doesn't give a rat's ass what I do, and besides, he's so messed up its not as though my influence would really help at this point."

"Where did you go so wrong?" my mother snarled. "Regulus turned out just fine-"

"According to your standards, Regulus would be fine-for everyone else, he's anything but."

"You are a Black!" my mother screeched. "Toujours pur! And yet you-"

"Don't give me that crap!" I shouted. "All that pureblood ramble! You want to know what I think? I think it's a pile of shit!"

My Mother let out an angry shriek and Kreacher flinched at her side. "All this would have been avoided if you had been sorted into Slytherin just like everyone else in the family! But you! You disgraced the family not only once by being sorted into the wrong house, but twice by befriending that vile Potter boy, the pureblood traitors!"

Now I was seething. "Don't you start on James!" I snarled.

"And his other little half-blood allies! How DARE you impugn our honourable name and the house of my fathers by associating yourself with them!"

"SHUT UP!" I bellowed.

"You've brought nothing but shame and dishonor to our family since you were born! You're brother is more a Black then you will ever be! You don't see HIM speaking to dirty mudbloods lovers or filthy half-bloods-"

"WILL YOU SHUT UP!" I roared.

"-those abominations of wizard-kind!"

"SHUT UP YOU BITCH!" I screamed.

My mother's clawed hand slashed through the air and hard across my face. Her long, painted nails were like talons as they raked my skin. I let out a yell of pain and shoved her away without thinking. She stumbled backwards-almost tripping over Kreacher. Her eyes were popping out of her pale face at this point and she looked utterly crazy. "YOU! YOU UNGRATEFUL LITLLE SWINE! WHERE DO YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT!"

I began walking away from her- storming down the hall and up the stairs. My heart hammering furiously in my chest, red hot rage blinding me.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!" she screamed. "COME BACK HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

Ignore her….Ignore her…Ignore her…I told myself. But I had had enough of ignoring her. That's all I had ever done-ignore her. I rounded on her at the top of the stairs-possibly the first time in my whole goddamn life I had ever said what I wanted to say…

"I'm tired of being what you want me to be! I've had enough of you and your stupid pure-blood mania! You want me to be something that I'm not-and everything that I've ever done has just been one mistake after the other for you! Do you know what I want to be? I WANT TO BE MYSELF!"

My words rang loudly off the serpent-shaped candelabra and gas lamps down below and echoed about the ceiling.

"AND HERE'S THE THING-I DON'T CARE ANYMORE IF YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! YOU GODDAMN MANIACS JUST EXPECT ME ONE DAY TO BREAK UNDER ALL THE PRESSURE AND START CRAWLING-AND YOU KNOW WHAT?"

I could feel blood streaming down my face from where my mother's claws had slashed me. I felt wild, hysterical laugher coming upon me and my mother's furious, twisted face on the stairs below me threatened to drive me over the edge.

"I'M NOT GOING TO BREAK! NOT NOW! NOT EVER! EVER! DID YOU HEAR THAT? I'M NEVER GOING TO BREAK!"

My mother looked as if she were about to have a seizure. "So this is what has become of all our efforts!" she screeched, spit flying everywhere. "Do you think of yourself as a martyr for the mudbloods? Is that it?"

"Regulus is the little martyr, not me!" I said loudly. "You can get him to go die for you pureblood cause, because I'm not stupid enough to go get myself killed or broken by you lot."

As I stood there the laugher still rising inside of me-I realized that for the first time in my life I was truly happy, because I truly didn't care any longer what any of them said or did. I had, had enough at last.

The door to my Father's study opened up and his head popped out into the hallway. "What is going on out here?" he asked in a sharp voice.

"I'm just telling dear old mum here that I've had enough of this 'Most Noble and Ancient House of Black' shit."

"You watch your tongue young man." My father said angrily.

"I would if I still cared." I retorted. "As it is you can say or do what you want because it doesn't bother me anymore."

My Father looked at my mother, almost exasperated- "Walburga-what is going on now?"

"Sirius hexed Regulus-"

I burst out into barklike laughter which caused them both to look at me. "Oh so this is what it's all about still?" I asked. "Me hexing, that little whoreson? Merlin's beard, this is classic."

"HE IS UNCONTROLLABLE!" my mother screamed. "HE HAS HUMILIATED THIS FAMILY AND HIS WORTHLESS SKIN HAS BROUGHT NOTHING BUT MISERY AND SHAME!"

"Ah, it's good to feel so loved." I smiled sarcastically.

"HE REJECTS EVERYTHING OUR FAMILY BELIEVES IN, INCLUDING OUR BLOOD SUPREMACY!"

"WELL IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED-WE'RE **NOT** ROYAL! WE CAN ACT LIKE WE ALL HAVE CROWNS ON OUR HEADS BUT IT MEANS NOTHING!" I shouted. "WE JUST LOOK LIKE IDIOTS!"

"He denounces our very motto: Toujours pur!"

"'Always pure' my ass!"

"He will not accept his heritage or fate."

"People can make their own fates!" I pointed out. "Being born a Black doesn't seal you off in stone from the rest of the world, only you lot are too stupid to realize that!"

"Sirius Black let your mother speak!" my father roared looking real pissed off now.

My Mother glared at me, breathing hard. "All we tried to do for you was give you the best. What any good parent would want."

I said nothing but glared at her.

"You are the shame of my flesh…you are a failure to us."

My Father looked from my mother to me and said coldly, "Sirius-you're Mother is right. You do not try to apply yourself. You have resisted everything we have done to try and help you and you have disappointed us."

Help me? Ha, that was a laugh.

"Fine." I said calmly.

I had had enough of this Portlock crap. I was leaving. I was never coming back to Grimmauld Place for the rest of my goddamned life.

I turned on my heel and strode down the hall towards my room.

"NOT SO FAST!" My mother screeched. "DON'T YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM AND SULK!"

I threw open my door and slammed it shut behind me with such force, it rattled the pictures on the wall.

I turned my attention immediately to my trunk, still unpacked from school lying at the foot of my bed.

The door burst open behind me with a smash. "WHERE DO YOU GET SUCH INSOLENCE!" my mother screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"

"Leaving." I hissed, as I began throwing some of the important stuff in my room into my open trunk.

My mother's mouth fell open. "WHAT? WHAT DID YOU SAY!"

"I'M LEAVING!" I bellowed. "SO GO THROW A PARTY! ALL I BRING IS 'MISERY AND SHAME' TO THE FAMILY RIGHT? SO WHATS THE BIG DEAL?"

"You just can't leave!" my Mother cried, clutching her heaving chest. "Where will you go? You have nowhere to go! You have…" she trailed off staring at me as if she had never seen me properly before. "Oh! You wouldn't! You dare not!"

"What?" I asked in exasperation, not even bothering to look at her as I began throwing in some more socks into my trunk.

"You dare not…go to that…blood traitor's house!" she gasped. "No! I won't stand for it!"

"If I do, it's no concern of yours." I spat.

"I FORBIDE YOU TO GO!" she cried.

I ignored her and kept packing. As I turned to grab by favorite dragon skin jacket off the closet door I caught my reflection in the mirror. It startled me. My face (which was still stinging something awful) was dripping with blood and it had now dripped onto my damn shirt. My face was grim and set and my eyes were blazing with a cold, icy grey fire.

Kreacher's snout like nose came around the corner and then the rest of the wrinkled elf appeared in the doorway. I had never seen him looking so happy in his entire life.

I slammed the lid shut on my trunk and went over to my bedside table and scooped up the little money that I had. My Mother was now ranting and raving, screaming so loudly, my ears hurt.

"SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF MY WAY!" I yelled as I grabbed the handle to my trunk and turned on her.

"IF YOU LEAVE, YOU'LL NEVER SET FOOT IN THIS HOUSE AGAIN!"

"Sounds good." I said savagely. "Now move."

"YOU'LL COME CRAWLING BACK HERE, BEGGING FOR FORGIVNESS!"

I'd sooner die before giving her that satisfaction…and I certainly would not be begging for forgiveness.

I pushed past her and began walking down the hall with my trunk. On the way down I passed my Father's study where the door was open. I looked inside and saw my Father sitting at his desk reading over some papers. That killed me. It really did. I'm running away from home and my old man is sitting there doing paperwork. He looked up at me with the quickest of glances, and then dropped his head again to read the papers. Behind him was that large fireplace with the Black family crest above it. I would never have to see those stupid rampant greyhounds again. Whenever I got into trouble with my Father and he used to shout at me from across that bloody desk-I'd stare at the greyhounds.

I continued walking down the hall. My Mother's screams had suddenly ceased and as I turned the corner I found out why. She was in the middle of the drawing room…on the far end of the wall.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked her calmly, standing in the doorway.

She was standing in front of the old and faded family tapestry as if I might rush at her and attack it. "I am burning you off this tapestry for good." She hissed, looking at me with murder in her eyes. "I am disowning you…from this day on you are no son of mine."

Kreacher was by her side looking ecstatic.

I smiled sourly. "Brillant. Do you want me to help you do it? Because I gladly will."

We stood there eyes locked before she moved first…her wand out and moving over to the tapestry. I didn't feel like standing around and watching her burn my name off, I really didn't care if you wanted to know the truth.

I had almost reached the stairs when I heard a voice nearby.

"Sirius…" It was no louder than a whisper.

I looked about and then saw Regulus standing in the shadows. His face, which was now boils free- was wet with tears and his lower lip was trembling.

I had hated Regulus….Always hated him. We had never got along at all, not once-not ever. But for the first time it hit me hard that he was my brother. I don't know why it hit me then but as we stared at each other I felt something between us. I felt pity for him. He wasn't brave like me…he would never be brave like me and now that I thought about it we had the same qualities and characteristics…we were indeed more similar than we were different. Perhaps he didn't totally believe in all the pureblood mania like my parents did. Perhaps he had his doubts about it but if he did, it didn't matter. The one big thing that separated us was bravery. I had it, Regulus didn't. It made me sad in a way to think that Regulus could have been more like me if he had been given the guts.

I should have said something now that I look back on it. I should have invited him to come along or given him a speech about turning away from our parents, but I couldn't. One good feeling between us didn't make up for the years of animosity for me. Instead, I gave him one last look of sympathy before turning away and going down the stairs awkwardly dragging my trunk behind me.

I passed the many portraits on the hall who were all staring at me in disbelief. Some were muttering amongst themselves, some glared at me and one even yelled at me to stop. I bent down and picked up my fallen wand off the floor and then kept walking. It felt slightly surreal to be doing what I was. In no time at all I had reached the front door.

I stood there in the entrance hall-hardly believing what I was doing. The seconds lengthened as I took one last look around the house that I hated so passionately. And yet despite that all, I was half-crying. I don't even know why. I popped the collar on my dragon skin jacket and shouted at the top of my lungs,

"MERRY CHRISTMAS AND SEE YOU ALL IN HELL!"

My voice echoed loudly through the dark house and without a backwards glance I grabbed hold of my trunk and headed out the front door into the cold, winter night.


	2. The First Night

Authors Note: _I do not live in London, have never visited London and was born long after the 70's had died. Bear with me on this chapter and the next ones that might contain erroneous information._ TFM

**Chapter Two- The First Night**

It was snowing.

Outside the night air was cold and stinging. It was refreshing though, don't get me wrong. The slap from the freezing air outside had really cooled down my temper when I stepped outside. Though, the winter wind really stung my face where my hell-cat mother had attacked me.

I was heading away quickly but surprisingly: very calmly. I was walking down the footpath and every once in awhile I'd trip over my own feet as the goddamn trunk kept knocking into the back of my heels.

I was really leaving. I was really doing it.

I reached the end of the road where my victorious spirit suddenly popped as I realized I had no clue where the bloody hell I was going to go.

So I had run away…good. Now step two…where the hell to go?

James's house was the first thing that came to mind. One of the last things he had said to me at the station was 'Come on over to my place any time you want, Padfoot.' And he gave me that knowing look too. I think he knows how bad things are at home for me, even if I never let on about it at school.

But I didn't want to go to James's house if you want to know the truth. I mean honestly, who the hell wants some Black brat showing up on their front door step a few days before Christmas? James's parents were nice and all, and whenever I see them at the train station they always tell me to come over someday- but what parent isn't going to say that to their child's best friend? It's not like someone would actually say- "Good to meet you son, but please don't show up at our house because you would give us migraines."

Anyway- I didn't want to ruin the Potter's holidays. Just because mine were going to be crap didn't mean I had to screw it up for someone else.

I thought about my other friends, Remus and Peter. Peter was out in Kent visiting his family or something and Remus was spending the holidays at Hogwarts.

So I was alone. That was alright. London was at my feet and I had all the freedom in the goddamn world at the moment.

I felt excitement swelling up inside me. I wasn't afraid…I was suddenly wide awake with the relaxation of all the possibilities in front of me. I was free to do whatever I wanted!

Inevitably my mind started doing crazy things again. It does that sometimes. I have a brilliant imagination. I started thinking of myself as a man on the run…the law was after me…

I looked about the dark, empty street…perhaps in the shadows were Hit Wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad. I could almost see them lurking there waiting for any sight of me. I picked up my pace, imaging myself disguised from them and trying to walk past without arousing their suspicions. I walked down the rest of the street and onto another one-still imagining I was on the run.

After a short while, I turned a street corner and walked straight into a lady wearing a fur coat.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as she slipped on the sidewalk and grabbed the street light for balance.

I grabbed her arm to steady her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes-thank you."

She wasn't bad looking. Not too old…just a few years older than myself. She had very pretty hazel eyes.

"I didn't mean to startle you." I said.

"Oh no, you didn't-I just slipped and startled myself." She smiled at me and then saw my face. "Oh! You're bleeding!"

Unfortunately she was right. My stupid face was still bleeding a bit even though I had expected it to freeze up on my face it was so cold. "Oh, I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking concerned.

"Quite."

She looked dubious. "Well," she said slowly. "Happy Christmas."

"Et vous trop Mademoiselle."

She smiled again, more broadly this time and headed down the street I had just come down.

French works a charm around the ladies…I still have no idea why. I had gone to France that summer with my family to visit some extended relatives who lived there and although the vacation totally sucked, I learnt that speaking French is essential. I don't care about France itself-the frogs were the snootiest people you could ever find-at least, my relatives were and I have better things to do then smoke fags and drink wine at cafes which seemed to be a real craze over there.

The language itself however seems to be a real hit for British ladies. It just about kills them you can tell. And I'll be totally humble when I say this: I'm sexy. Add speaking French on top of my sexiness and it seems to be a great bonus.

I like women. I like them a lot. But I get more fun out of trying to lure them in rather then sticking with them. I've had a few girlfriends but they always end pretty quickly. Take last years disaster with Julia Kettlesburn. Me and her had been dating for a short while and Valentine's Day came along. So I being the nice, thoughtful boyfriend that I was-got her a yellow rose because I thought it looked nice and would be uniquely different from the thousands of other red roses that everybody else was going to be receiving that day.

I thought it was good of me to even remember Valentine's Day- most blokes don't even remember that kindof stuff, or put effort into remembering that stuff- let alone getting their girlfriends anything.

Julia went crazy. Freaked out when she received her yellow rose. She was started bawling and then yelling at me-going totally ballistic over a bloody flower. Apparently in the secret language of flowers yellow roses mean 'everlasting love' but also, more importantly 'friendship' and that was enough for her to blow her top. Who knew that yellow roses translate to 'friendship' according to the secret language of flowers? I didn't even KNOW there was a secret language of flowers for godsake. How would I really?

We broke up soon after that.

Come to think of it- I haven't had the best time with girls and relationships. It always kinda falls apart-but it's not always my fault…like the Julia Kettlesburn disaster. I don't particularly care too much if you want to know the truth. It doesn't bother me if it falls apart, I just shrug it off and move on.

As I kept walking, the streets grew a bit more crowded as I neared central London. Before I knew it, I was standing outside these enormous, ornate gates. Nearby was that muggle palace…the big one with like, 600 hundred rooms or something. It was all lit up for the Christmas season and everything.

Anyway-I was standing outside a park. I had no place to spend the night and sleeping on the side of the road didn't seem like such a great idea. I had practically no money-and it was wizard money more besides.

A sign nearby read: 'St. James Palace Park'

I smiled. James would have thought it was funny-probably saying that they named a palace park personally after him. Well, it looked like a good sign to me so I went up to the gates and found unsurprisingly that they were all locked. Fair enough.

I dragged my trunk up onto the small, grassy knoll next to the gates and with enormous difficulty heaved my trunk up over the smaller railings. It fell onto the other side with a loud 'smack', and I looked about nervously-but no one was really nearby and nobody was paying any attention to me. I climbed over myself and dropped down.

I took hold of my trunk again, pulled my jacket tighter about me and continued walking-the snow crunching under my feet. I couldn't help admiring how nice it was. The park was empty and covered in a small layer of snow. It was awfully silent and still in there…Everything was very calm and quiet. The trees looked magnificent. They looked as if they could have been at Hogwarts. What little light was there was shinning off of the bright, white snow. It was oddly very peaceful.

Soon I found myself by a pond. The trees were smaller here and the water looked as if it were made of black glass. With a sigh, I made my way over to one of the many benches and plopped down. I was tired…but my mind was fully awake. I lay down on the bench, stretched out as best I could, and faced the sky.

The waning moon was in the sky but I could still see loads of stars. I thought about Remus for a moment. Remus was a werewolf- he always knew the shape of the current moon like the back of his hand. Me, James and Peter were getting to know it pretty well too. Just last year we three had finally managed to become animaguses. What we found out is that a werewolf is only a danger to humans so if we transformed into animals too, we could accompany him as a werewolf and keep him company on full moons. It was risky but worth it. I'm a dog. A large black dog. Original huh? Sirius Black- **black** dog. Sirius- **dog** star…haha, yeah. Didn't see that coming did you?

But I wouldn't want to be any other animal. I mean you can do a lot as a dog and still get away with it. James is a stag and as cool as that is, its not as easy being a dog. I mean- can you see a stag clopping down the middle of the street? Peter is a rat which although sounds sad and everything is actually kindof cool. He can squeeze into tiny places and totally get away with it…something he can't necessarily do on a normal basis…and he has to watch out for cats.

There was no full moon that night. The next one was going to be the fifth of January. I continued to stare up into the dark, heavens-thousands of stars spilled above me. The universe stretching before my eyes…

Damnit it was cold. It was brass monkey weather. I was freezing my arse off in that bloody park. Luckily, it had stopped snowing.

I shivered and stuck my hands under my arms to stay warm. I thought about using magic but I didn't want to get a warning from the Improper Use of Magic Office for having a magical fire going in the middle of a muggle park, even if there were no muggles in it.

Before I knew it, whether it was from the cold or from my now increasing drowsiness…I had drifted off.

I dreamed I was running down a road that was full of people who were all wearing enormous feathered hats and singing 'La Marseillaise'-I tripped on a bowl of pudding and was stuck there to the cement until James came by told me he was going Christmas shopping. I told him to give me a hand but he said he was missing a loaf of bread and some bangers…Then I pulled myself free and we were being chased by burning broomsticks which my mother was controlling with her wand…Then James was yelping, "My bangers! My bangers and potatoes!" and he ran off chasing a bunch of house-elves…I kept running until I found a black motorbike and started to try and fix it...

I really do have the most stupid dreams sometimes. Professor Moonchild, the Divination professor never appreciates my dream journal. They all tend to be really stupid and full of nonsense- no symbolic meaning behind them whatsoever. The sad thing is- I don't even make them up. If I remember my dreams, which I rarely do, I'll record them exactly how I remember them and she still gets frustrated with me.

I opened my eyes. The sky above me was a pale grey-it was early morning.

My limbs were stiff and sore- I stretched and yawned, trying to wake myself up. My face and body felt frozen…Once I warmed up, I'd get up and go find myself a hot drink and maybe buy a hat or something-

Suddenly, right behind me- there came a noise of someone loudly clearing their throat. I froze- and slowly turned my head.

Towering above me was a tall, stern-faced muggle bobby. His dark uniform was spotless and his dark helmet was low on his head, casting a shadow over his grim face.

I forced myself to smile and said in the most innocent voice I could manage, "Happy Christmas, Officer…"


	3. A Scarf for the Season

**Chapter Three- A Scarf for the Season**

The bobby stared at me and I gulped nervously before trying to explain myself, "Look, I know that it's probably against the law or something to sleep here but I didn't mean anything by it- I didn't damage the park-or piss on the trees or anything! I just came here and slept on this bench."

"There is a fine for trespassing after hours." The policeman said.

"Shit." I swore. "What if I can't pay it?"

"Then I drag you to jail."

Brillant. He was going to bang me up and I'd be stuck in prison for Christmas. What fun. I was shivering terribly at this point and my teeth were rattling.

"Why aren't you at home kid?"

"Because I'm running away from home." I spat. On the bright side my parents would never come and fetch me out of a muggle prison from the shame of it all. On the negative, I was going to go to prison for sleeping in a park. I mean of all things to be arrested for…how lame is that? Not murder…or stealing…not for graffiti… or carrying a weapon-but sleeping in a park.

The policeman's face remained expressionless. "It was rather cold last night, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it bloody well was." I said angrily.

The policeman sighed. "Well, come'on then."

With a sigh I got up from the cold hard bench, took hold of my trunk and began to follow the bobby to the now open front gates.

I wondered about running away- just dropping my trunk and taking off, I eyed his baton at his side. I had no doubt that if I so much as took a pace away from him, he would have that thing across my skull in a second and drag me back unconscious if he had to.

We were walking down the Mall now, and turned into shadow covered, Trafalgar Square. The giant column in the middle of it caught my eye. "How long have you been on your own?" he asked me.

"I ran away last night." I replied moodily.

"Don't you know someone that would take you in?"

"Maybe I don't want to be taken in."

We continued walking across the square in silence. My godamn trunk still kept hitting the back of my bruised feet and it was difficult to navigate around all the stupid pigeons. The streets were abit more crowded as we turned onto Charing Cross road. Suddenly we had stopped-standing just outside a small coffeeshop. The policeman walked up to the door. I stood there on the sidepath-staring dumbly at him.

"Come'on." He ordered as he headed inside.

I followed. A blast of warm air hit me and I realized then how cold I really was. I dragged my trunk through the small door behind me and stood there by it stamping my feet to shake off the snow.

"Sit down for a minute." The cop told me before headin up to the counter.

There was only a muggle businessman reading his paper in the corner and two middle aged women-one with a baby in her lap, sitting by the window talking excitedly to each other.

I was shivering so bad now, my jaw was hurting. My shaking fingers were blue with cold. Maybe I was going to die from pneumonia before I reached jail…

"Here you go." Said the cop suddenly, coming up behind me.

I turned and he shoved a large cup of tea into my hands.

I almost dropped the son of a bitch, it was so hot.

He sat down opposite me- holding his own cup of tea and set down a small plate of biscuits.

I sat there wondering what sort of sick joke this was. Whatever it was, it wasn't funny.

"I thought you were bringing me to jail." I frowned.

The cop raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to bring you to jail?" he asked.

"No!" I said immediately.

He smiled-well, the corners of his lips twitched at least. "Well then, drink up."

It looked like he was letting me off the hook…I looked at my drink, maybe it was poisoned…but why a muggle would want to poison a wizard kid was beyond me…or maybe he was one of those nutters-Death Eaters they called themselves- in disguise…I looked at him suspiciously but he was staring out the window now, looking thoughtful.

What the hell, I decided-it was hot and I was cold and if it was poisoned-so be it.

I took a sip and scaled my goddamn tongue.

"So son, where are you going to do today?"

"Wha? Oh, hm…I dunno."

"Are you from around here?"

"Yes." Oh shit, he was going to try and find out where I lived and drag me back to my house….

"Then you should know how cold it gets in the winter-its not a good idea to sleep outside. You'll catch hypothermia."

"Yeah, it was stupid I know, but it was late and I wasn't sure where to go."

"Well find a place to go to tonight-do you have any relatives or friends in the area?"

"Er…yeah one or two…" So I was lying, somewhat. I had relatives- but there was no way I was going to show up on their front doorstep.

"Well promise me you'll find them tonight." He said briskly. He took another sip of his tea and looked closely at me.

"Yeah, my face- I know." I sighed. "I was attacked by a cat." That true at least- a mad, spitting cat banishing a wand.

He smiled-I don't think he believed me but he didn't say anything. He quickly drank the rest of his tea, reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins slapping them on the table.

"Merry Christmas, kid." He said, standing up.

I must have looked like I was hit on the head with a club. "Uh-thanks." I said.

He walked out of the shop and out into the snowy street.

So already, I had gotten an early Christmas present…Get out of jail free and with a cup of tea. I eyed the untouched biscuits for a moment…but only a moment before devouring them so quickly the women by the window started staring at me. I hadn't realized how famished I was.

I sipped the rest of my tea slowly, trying to think of what to do next. I lived in London and everything but all my life had been spent on the wizarding world side of it. I had never seen much of the muggle side. My parents had always avoided it at whatever costs and although I wasn't fascinated about the muggles-they were still kindof interesting.

I payed for my tea and biscuits up at the front with the coins the policeman had left. I still had some change leftover- I didn't know how much I had though because I had no idea what muggle money equaled to and all that.

I dragged my trunk outside, the coffee shop door tinkling behind me. First things first-get rid of the bloody trunk. My feet were aching from being hit so many times with it. I couldn't perform magic right here in the open-we weren't allowed to use magic at all outside of school. You could get away with it though if you were in a wizarding area or at home sometimes.

I looked up and down the street. From what I remembered, the Leaky Cauldron was on this road somewhere. If I could get there perhaps I could transfigure my trunk into something smaller before heading out into the muggle world.

It was a long and painful walk before I finally found it, but in due time I found myself crossing the road and opening the door to the wizard's pub. There were only a few people inside. Tom the barman was nowhere to be seen.

I reached inside my jacket pocket and pulled out my wand…thinking hard. Ah right- I transfigured my trunk into a miniature size one-about the size of a matchbox. Last year- as a prank, I had turned all the furniture in Gryffindor common room into miniature size. It had caused quite a bit of confusion the next day when people came down from their dorms and saw in the middle of the room, a small pile of doll-size furniture, books and the like.

I put my miniature trunk inside my pocket and headed out the door just as I heard, "OY! WHAT'RE YA-" behind me. I sprinted into the busy muggle crowds and watched the Leaky's door for a moment to see if anyone was following me, but no one opened the door again.

I began walking down the street, looking into all the muggle shop windows and such till I reached a large road called Oxford Street. It was very busy here, lots of muggle automobiles and double-decker buses. I kept walking a ways until I turned onto another road and came across this old lady on the side of the road selling scarves and hats.

They were possibly the ugliest things I had ever seen. The colors clashed on all of them and they were all stripped or tartan colored with weird frays and pompom balls hanging off of them.

I stood there staring at them until the little old lady asked me, "Are you interested in buying something for the winter season dear?"

She had crooked teeth, and smelled funny.

"Er…"

She grabbed a scarf off her small stand and threw it around my neck, nearly chocking me with it. "It's very warm isn't it?"

Unfortunately she was right, with the fuzzy scarf around my neck, I did feel abit warmer. Of course-it was probably the most hideous one there. It had lots of pink, orange, purple and red that looked as if it had been stripped and patterned by a blind person. There were numerous pompom balls dangling about on the end of it as well.

As embarrassing as it was, I kindof liked it. It was so goddamn ugly. I mean-I have never seen anything so weird looking in my entire life.

"Uh…"

"You look quite handsome in it." She simpered.

Now that was a lie. The only thing it would look handsome on might be a large pile of dragon shit.

"I really don't have any money." I said.

"The colors match your eyes so nicely-" she continued.

My eyes were grey. She had to be colorblind or something.

"I like it and everything, but I can't pay you." I sighed.

"And I can add in a pair of mittens!" she exclaimed picking up a pair of identically patterned mittens.

"Look lady-" I said, looking at the two mittens she was swinging in front of my face. "I really don't have any money. I like your scarf and all but I'm practically skint."

Her face fell. "Ah, but you look so cold…"

I couldn't believe I was doing what I did next. I reached into my pockets and pulled out some of the coins the bobby had left on the table and held them out to her.

"See?" I said. "That's all I have."

She swiped them up faster then I could have believed it was possible for an old hag at her age. "That'll do."

I gaped at her as she handed the mittens out to me. "And these come with it dear- wear them with love!"

I hurried down the road as fast as I could, trying to ignore the old women's loud cackle that followed me as I pulled on the ugly mittens (that unfortunately had pompom balls on them as well) and disappeared into the crowd.

The rest of the day was an interesting one. I went to two muggle museums: The British Museum and the National Gallery. They were kindof boring but in the museum there were these Egyptian coffins that used to hold mummies until they all broke out a few hundred years ago in the Cairo Convention incident in 1824. I knew that even though the museum didn't because Remus made me and James try to study for our History of Magic exam last year and that was the only card I remembered…in fact, it was the only one I read. I also pulled the fire alarm as a joke in the museum before leaving, but I didn't stick around to see the results.

I walked back to Trafalgar Square, chased some pigeons like an idiot out of boredom, and then headed over to the giant clock tower. There were all these tourists nearby and I amused myself for a good time by jumping into all their pictures right when they took the photo. In the end I got chased by this angry bloke who followed me almost to Westminster Bridge until he sagged against the wall gasping for breath, still shouting after me about 'a waste of film' and 'little punks'.

I walked over the bridge and started making my way on a walkway that was on the south side of the Thames. I made my way along the path and found a stick to drag against the railings.

It was getting dark and I realized this would be Day Two spent outside for me. I was less cold due to my newly acquired scarf and mittens but kinda hungry because I had used up the rest of the money the bobby had given me on some pastries in a muggle shop around lunchtime.

I had a brilliant idea that night. While laying on the bench facing the Thames, and after making sure that no muggles were nearby- I transformed into Padfoot.

As a dog, the world changes. Your senses sharpen-everything is transformed for you. I like being a dog as dumb as that sounds. If I was forced to stay a dog for the rest of my life-I wouldn't mind.

The city was pretty at night and I could see everything lit up-even that giant bell tower. I wondered if the tourists were still taking pictures of it…I wondered what they'd do when they developed their film and saw me in my mad scarf giving an offensive gesture to their camera right behind them.

I smiled, thinking things couldn't be better-not knowing the best adventure was still yet to come...


	4. Soho

_Authors note: Please remember that the year is 1976…Soho was a bit different from what it is now. _

**Chapter Four- Soho**

There was one section of the city I hadn't been down yet that I wanted to. It was an area that I had only touched upon the day before when I went to the National Museum. A muggle area called Soho.

That morning I took the quickest route to Leicester Square and made my way up into Chinatown. I knew I had reached it when I passed under an enormous red archway that was lit up. It had Chinese characters on the sides and everything. It was pretty damn impressive.

Over the street itself, thousands of red lanterns with gold tinsels were hanging, strung from the buildings. There were banners in Chinese and all sorts of signs everywhere. I always wanted to visit China. They have that great wall which is pretty cool. I read that they built it on top of dead people. A lot of the workers died building it and so the guys who were in charge were like, 'Hm well, might as well not waste any good materials' and shoved them in the foundation. How bloody awesome is that?

There were all these street shops everywhere and so I walked by, stomach growling seeing everything I wanted to. At one point I saw a large scaffolding, and I climbed it to get a bird's eye view. Some little Chinese lady wearing an apron ran out of her shop and began shrieking at me in Chinese but I ignored her and kept climbing until I reached the top. I had reached the top of the building and as I looked around I could see most of the other streets nearby laid out before me.

It was a cloudy day and the wind was rather fierce. I rubbed my ugly mitten covered hands together and called down to the lady,

"Alright! I'm coming down now."

At this point there was quite a crowd down below watching me and I climbed down quickly just in case someone had or was going to get ahold of the cops. I didn't really want to see my tea-buying bobby friend again. I wasn't so sure he'd buy me another one if I saw him a second time.

I spent a lot of time in Chinatown and then when I got bored with that headed down a small road where I saw a line of muggle cinemas stretched out.

I had never been to a cinema before. Remus again, always the studious one-could probably have told me then and there how it worked and all that crap but from what little I knew about them, they sounded kindof interesting.

I found a small theatre squeezed between a large one that was all boarded up and another that had some smutty poster on it. There was a large, dark poster that read: 'You are one day closer to the end of the world. You have been warned.'

I frowned and went up closer to it and read at the bottom: 'The Omen'.

It looked very stupid…or maybe very good.

I looked up to see a man nearby paying at a small ticket stand for his ticket and realized I was going to have to sneak in.

This required some thinking. There was only one set of double doors and the ticket stand was right next them to the left. To the right, there was a large dustbin. I wished I had James's invisibility cloak.

I stood there waiting by the poster, pretending I was reading them very carefully. I could see the hairy ticket man watching me out of the corners of his yellow eyes.

Finally two men came up to the ticket booth and I took my chance. Keeping myself as close to the wall as possible I slid along it to the dustbin where I wormed my way around it and reached the doors.

Very carefully and quietly I opened the door and slid inside.

There were only two theatres and under the plastic broken 2, there was the sign: 'The Omen'. I pulled open the door and went into the dark theatre.

It smelled like vomit and the seats were all half-broken. I sat in one that had less springs popping out of it then the others. There were only three other people, scattered about-nobody was talking. It was really creepy.

Well, it was an experience at least. A few more people trailed in and we all sat in silence until the lights dimmed and the big screen in front of us all lit up.

It was one hell of a movie. The story was about an ambassador who substituted another baby for him and his wife's dead one. Then the baby grew up and all this freaky stuff started happening, like-the kid's nanny hangs herself and this new one comes along with this big dog. This crazy priest kept stalking the ambassador around and kept telling him that the guy's son was really the son of the devil. Then one thing leads to another and you find out the son, (whose name was Damien) had a jackal for a mother and he has a tattoo on his head under his hair. The plot was kinda screwed up but there were these cool scenes where a bunch of dogs attacked some guys and a photographer got decapitated as a pane of glass came shooting off a lorry. There was also this awesome scene where the devil kid was riding a tricycle and knocked over his mother who fell down the stairs and broke her back. I wondered why I hadn't thought of that first.

Nearly two hours later I left the theater thinking that muggle's didn't have such rotten ways to entertain themselves after all. I wondered why we as wizards hadn't thought of something brilliant like that.

I started down another road and ended up going into a small; second hand book shop that had tons of bloody ancient books in it but no prices on any of them what so ever. The owner watched me suspiciously the whole time from behind his desk, and kept saying in a flustered way how he was going to be closing soon.

I left that place and began trying to scrounge for food. I turned the street corner and found a small outdoor food shop and as bad as I felt for doing it, I nicked some carrots off of the vendor's cart. I'm very good at doing stuff like that, nicking things. It's not something to be proud of but it is a necessary skill, and as I walked down the rest of the road, munching on the carrot I couldn't help thinking that it was worth it. It was just a few carrots, it's not like I went and robbed one of those guys in a Father Christmas suit who stand on the side of the road waving a bell. Afterall, 'Tis the season and all that crap-I don't think a couple of missing carrots would be that important, especially if they went to good use by feedin a starving adolescent.

I turned the corner, and my mouth dropped. It was dusk now- and I was in the, hmm-how do you say it? 'Red-light district'…the 'seedy' section of the city.

I'm not as pure as winter snow or whatever, but nor am I as black as I'm painted out to be by people-alright, girls- at school. I'll put this out-walking that section of Soho was pretty interesting and eye-opening on more than one level.

I passed more then one tom along the way. Whether they were in store windows, staircases with open doors or on the streets themselves, there was more then I could count. I nearly bumped into this one person who I thought was a young prostitute herself, and who on closer inspection turned out instead to be a trannie.

It's not like I had money anyways. And besides, there's a big difference between tom's and women. See-women are harder to get. There's a certain art behind it. It's fun. As for toms, you just slap a coin in their hand and shag. It's their job really. Women are all different and interesting. You have to get to know them, and find out stuff behind them before you go into a relationship. As stupid as this sounds- every girl I've ever met is intriguing on some level. Women are like mysteries to me. And in order to know them and appreciate them, you have to try and solve their own individual mystery. There is something very alluring about hunting down the inner beauty of a woman. When a woman is a slag and drooling all over you-its flattering and all-but most of the time, their not really worth chasing.

Sex shops, cinemas, clip joints, brothels…they were all there. It was all a bit mad really. I mean-it was winter too and everything for godsakes. You'd think that they'd try to dress a little bit warmer or something, but I guess since it's their jobs and everything-I continued walking down the streets, pausing then and again. Most of the prozzies on the street were eyeing me contemptuously. Obviously they knew a customer when they saw one, and they weren't about to waste their time with a runaway kid like me without a cent to their name. One store I did pass had a sleazily dressed whore standing outside it and after looking me up and down asked, "Ya lookin for a good time, kid?"

"Yes." I replied back smoothily, "But not today and not here, I'm afraid."

At one point I spied a small shine in the dirty snow on the side of the road and picked it up. A muggle coin- I pocketed it and made my way down the road and into a dark square where I leaned against a streetlight and shut my eyes, trying to decide what to do next.

"Are you alright there, young man?"

I looked up to see the man who owned that crummy bookshop peering down at me with concerned, pale eyes.

"Yes."

"Do you need help? Are you lost?"

"No, I'm fine." I said pointedly.

"You're sure now?"

"Quite sure." I said with a hint of anger in my voice. If the bastard with the camel-hair coat wanted to do a good deed so badly, he could start with properly arranging all the books in his shop.

The man looked doubtful. "Forgive my rudeness, but isn't it a bit late for a young man like yourself to be out in a place like this? Shouldn't you be home with your family?"

I thought about telling him that I had runaway and my family didn't give a damn what I did now but it would be my luck he'd drag me off to an orphanage or something. "No." I lied. "They know I'm out…I just went for a walk, that's all."

I hardly expected him to buy it and judging from his skeptic face, I knew he probably didn't. He didn't look too stupid…but you could never judge people from their looks.

"I see…" he said slowly. I noticed he had on a pair of tartan mittens and I could not help thinking how gay they looked. At least mine were properly ugly. I had to remind myself again not to judge people by their looks. "Well then…Happy Christmas." He said slowly.

"Yeah, you too." I said unfeelingly.

With one last compassionate look at me he turned around and walked away across the dark square.

I decided I needed a proper drink. I was only sixteen years old and everything but hell- if I acted old enough I could probably get away with it.

I slowly made my way down another street called: D'Arblay street which was of course filled with more clip joints and prozzies. There were some scruffy looking guys in the shadows of one building who eyed me suspiciously but I kept up the same even pace. What were they going to do? Mug me of my one coin?

At the corner there was a dark looking pub called: The George. It didn't look too extraordinary which worked fine for me because I couldn't afford anything nicer.

I went inside. It was very cramped, single bar pub. There were wooden floorboards and the inside seemed to still be made up of the original woodwork. I shuffled over to the bar and sat down on a stool.

"Cheapest lager you've got." I said to the mustached barman. He shuffled off without even a second look back at me.

So much for ID then, or even a lie which was fine by me. He came back moments later and set down my glass before walking off to the other side.

It really was a seedy place, slightly crowded too. I sat there drinking my lager slowly, watching the muggle tv out of pure boredom.

"Three mor' beers." Came a voice next to me.

I turned and saw a young, blonde-haired, woman standing there wearing a body-hugging, black leather outfit.

"Hey." I said.

"Hey." She replied, barely glancing at me.

I turned back to my drink, feeling exasperated.

"Cor-" she breathed, peering over into my face. "Wot happened to ya face?"

"I was attacked by a cat."

"'kin 'ell." She said, looking very interested. She wore very heavy makeup-too much in fact. A lot of eyeshadow. "Wossa a kid like ya doin' in a place like this?"

"I'm on an adventure."

"An adventure? Here?"

"Yeah." I confessed. "But what's a pretty woman like you doing in a place like this?"

She smiled. "Me an' the gang are biking through London today, so we stopped for a drink."

"Biking?" I exclaimed, sitting upright. "Motorbikes?"  
"Yeah. Ya into that kinda stuff?"

"Yes! Very much."

The barman came back and handed her the drinks. I opened my mouth to say something-anything but she got beat me to it.

"Wossa' ya name?"

I could have lied, but I didn't feel like it for some reason, "Sirius, Sirius Black."

"Sirius? Wha' kindaof name is that? Howda spell it?"

"S-i-r-i-u-s." I spelled. "Named after the star."

"I didn't know there was a star called tha'. Wha'd ya come up with tha' ya self?"

"No. My folks did."

"I think ya full o' shit." She said, but she was smiling.

"I swear I'm not. Most of my family is named after stars and constellations…it's a stupid tradition or something."

"Why aren't ya with 'em now?"

"Oh, er-I'm visiting some cousins in the area." I lied. "But I took a detour so that I could experience the real side of London."

"Uh-huh." She said eyeing, me suspiciously. "Well-why don't ya come with me for a sec so I can show ya to Brock, you're a cute kid."

Kid? She couldn't have been older than my cousin Andromeda. (Although, to be honest, Andromeda did have a drooling, two year old kid at that time) Who was she calling a kid? Why was everybody calling me kid? And where did cute come from?

"Come'on." She said, heading across the room, beckoning to me.

I picked up my glass and followed her to the darkest corner of the room where two tables had been put together.

Around them sat the seven of the most biggest, filthiest, and hairiest bikers I had ever seen along with some other women dressed similarly to the girl I was with. Looking around at them all, I realized I had never seen such a rough crowd before.

"Oy, Cheryl! Took ya long enough." said of the black leathered bikers.

"Look wha' I picked up." She announced as she set down the beers.

They eyed me up and down- I realized that based on looks alone they would have thought me a poof or something in that scarf.

"Guess wot his name is!" Cheryl exclaimed as she pushed her way past some of the bikers and sat in one of the guys lap.

"Stupid wanker?" one of the bikers sniggered.

"Son of a bitch?" another one laughed.

I was getting hacked off. If they thought I was going to be standing here for their own entertainment-they had another thought coming. The terrible temper was stirring like an angry dragon that had been poked while it was sleeping. I'd play along with them then. "Close-" I said loudly. "Very close. My mother was indeed a bitch, but not just because she named me. When she bred with my father it was so that I would be born pureblood and with a proper pedigree."

There was a long pause as they thought about this.

"So, yer sayin' yer a dog?" one of them asked with a half smile.

I beamed. "Precisely. Not just any dog either- but a big black one-black as my name."

"Wha's th' little bugger talking about?"

"Brightest of the starry dog- and black as the night with smog."

Not the best rhyme, probably the worst one I've ever come up with- but I had virtually no time to think. Of course if you thought about it, the rhyme made perfect sense. The brightest star of the dog constellation, Canis Major is Sirius. The second part- 'black as the night' means just what it sounds like- Black. Sirius Black…duh.

The way they were staring at me you'd have thought I had two heads. I had completely thrown them off. "Right." I said cheerfully. "Well I'm off, now. Cheers."

"Oy! Wait a second!" said one of the bikers that had 'hate' tattooed on one set of knuckles and 'shit' on the other hand. "Explain it!"

"Yeah!"

"Wot the 'ell, was that all about, kid?"

"I'm sorry." I said trying to sound disappointed. "I don't have the time. Nice meeting you all." I turned to go and there was a chorus of yelling from the table behind me.

"Get back 'ere!"

"Come'on or we'll drag you back!"

"We wanna hear it!"

I slowly turned around to see them angrily glaring at me-some of them half out of their seats. Cheryl was smiling at me and gave me a wink.

I came back and stood by the empty glass covered table. "Well-" I said calmly. "I suppose I could quickly explain it to you."

They said nothing-but I had their undivided attention, you could tell.

"My name is Sirius Black. Spelled, 'S-i-r-i-u-s'. Sirius is the name of a star. It's called 'the dog star'- its in the constellation of Canis Major- Latin for 'the greater dog'."

"Nah-you're lyin."

"That's stupid, that is."

"He's just makin it up!"

"Little bastard!"

"HE'S NOT!" said a loud voice. The bikers stopped arguing for a second to stare at Cheryl who had suddenly spoken up on my behalf. "It's true. No shit. Sirius is the name of a star. Everybody knows that."

I hoped that she had received and knew my wordless thanks.

"Oh-yeah… I knew that too." Said one of the bikers with bloodshot eyes, I think he was so drunk- he didn't even know what we were arguing about.

Within a few seconds- all of the bikers had miraculously recalled their knowledge of astronomy.

"'Ere, kid- sit down a minute." Said the biggest biker that had Cheryl in his lap.

I pulled over a chair from another table and sat down on it, tilting back on the chair legs out of bad habit.

"So-" said the biker, his leather jacket was off and on a big hairy arm he had a bright tattoo that said 'Hydra's heads' on it with a seven headed dragon below. "Wossa kid like you doin' 'ere?"

"I asked 'em that earlier." Cheryl said.

"But I'm askin 'em, aren't I?" he said loudly with an angry look.

"I'm exploring London." I said quickly before a row broke out. "I'm on my own right now."

" D'ya know who I am?" he asked me.

"I'm afraid not."

"Brock the bastard." He said proudly, sticking out his chest.

I bit my lip, and forced myself to turn my smile into a thoughtful frown. "It's good to meet you."

"This is my gang- the Hydra's heads. D'ya know why we're called that?"

Even my scarf could figure that one out, but I shook my head feeling it was best to let him answer his own question.

"'Cuz we got seven guys…" he explained. "And a hydra's got seven heads, innit?"

I made my face light up as if I were just getting it. "Ohhhh." I said in pretend amazement. "That's very clever."

He nodded smugly. "I came up with it."

"Cheryl told me you guys are bikers."

"'Couse we are. Wouldn't be proper like if we weren't."

I was so excited, I could barely sit still. "What type of bike do you ride?"

"Triumph Bonneville T120."

"What year?"

"'72."

I nodded. "And is it a chain transmission type?"

"Yeah."

"How fast can it go?"

" I think it can get up to about errr-"

"Pro'bly 'bout 176 km/h." said one of the other bikers.

"Shut it, Roddy. He asked me."

"You wasn't tellin 'em."

"I was thinkin!" he roared.

"What type of engine?" I asked loudly.

"Huh? Oh-twin."

I sighed wistfully. I loved motorbikes. Even muggle ones.

"So kid, where'ya going to crash tonight?"

"I don't know." I said, snapping back to reality.

"It's not good for a kid like ya to be 'ere all alone." Cheryl said. "How bout you come with us?"

"What the 'ell do we look like?" Brock asked. "Bleedin' charity?"

"It's snowing out there-come'on Brock-we can't just leave 'em."

"I'm not goin' to be-"

Cheryl batted her eyelashes at him from under a heavily powdered face. "It'd be so good of ya, to bring him along for tonight-ya know? It's almost Christmas and all- it would make me so happy if you did."

Brock stared at Cheryl for awhile and then turned back to me. "Well how 'bout crashin at Nails's place with us? He's lyin' low here in London, since he had a bit of bother with some folks up in Bedford. He's an' ol' friend of ours, so he wouldn't mind if ya came along."

"That would be great." I said.

"Aw-thanks hun." Cheryl squealed, planting a kiss on her hairy boyfriend.

"Well…I'm nice like that." Brock agreed.

A while later- over some more drinks I told Brock and his gang as much as I could about my recent episodes and they told me one or two stories about life on the road.

In good time we stood up to leave, left the money and headed outside into the cold. We turned the corner and I gasped.

Seven motorbikes! I thought I had died and went to heaven. Brock and the others laughed themselves silly at my expression as I was started walking around them all looking at each of the bike up and down. Every little detail was amazing…

Each biker went to their own bike and began checking to see no damage had been done. Soon enough they were on them, revving the engines.

"Get on!" Roddy yelled at me over the deafening noise. "You're ridin with me, Brock says!"

I jumped on the back of the motorbike, wondering when I was going to wake up.

We pulled out into the road-speeding and swerving around panicked pedestrians.

The wind was whipping through my hair, and my ugly, pompom scarf was trailing behind me-the cold wind stung my face as we rode and I was happy-the happiest I had ever been in my life I think-

We pulled onto Oxford street-going much faster than the legal speed limit. Some of the Christmas decorations on the nearby buildings were still shining and twinkling…rushing past in a blur of color…

I let out a sudden whoop of joy at the top of my lungs-nearly scarring the shit out of poor Roddy. I threw my arms out and whooped again, and again- laughing all the while.


	5. Beggar at the Feast

_Authors note: Hey everyone, I'm sorry that this has taken so long to get up here. I happened to hate this chapter and the first time I wrote it I despised it so much I had to rewrite it again. I'm still not fond of it, but this is what's staying. Luckily the next chapter was better so my will to finish this story was restored._

**Chapter Six- Beggar at the feast**

Nails was an interesting fellow. First of all he was aptly named. He had tons of thick nails piercing through whatever bit of flesh was pierce-able. He wasn't too thrilled about taking me in but after listening to me give the rhyme behind my name at the requests of the other bikers, he grudgingly accepted me.

I slept on the floor that night under a moldy blanket, but at least I was out of the wind that night.

The next morning my new biker mates headed off early.

"Take care kid." Brock said gruffly, giving me a crushing hand shake.

"See ya around Sirius Black." Cheryl grinned and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

I waved as they rode on down the road and vanished out of my life as quickly as they had come.

Nails was eyeing me suspiciously, probably fearing that I was going to spend the rest of the day with him.

"Thanks for letting me stay at your…place." I said. He probably stole the apartment from the look of it.

I walked down the road after saying good bye to Nails and walked back to central London, figuring I might as well stay where all the action was.

I was nearing city center when suddenly this old bloke in a dark coat walking ahead of me on the sidewalk slipped on an icy patch and fell, right on his back.

I didn't really think much about it. I sighed, and walked over to him.

"Are you alright there?" I asked him.

His face was twisted in pain. "I think I may have hurt my ankle." He grimaced.

"Can you stand up?"

"I could try…" he flailed about helplessly on the footpath.

I kneeled down next to him and gave him my arm, he tried to stand and ended up collapsing in a crumpled heap. "Oh dear-"

People were passing by without bothering to glance in our direction. I leaned over and grabbed the old man's cane that had fallen to the side when he fell. It was made of fine silver and ebony wood.

"Try holding onto this and see if it helps-"

"It's no use my boy-an old man's accident….I'm going to need help."

"Alright-hold'on." I stood up. "OY! THERE'S BEEN AN ACCIDENT! ANY ONE OF YOU BUGGERS WANT TO HELP US OUT AND CALL FOR AID!"

"That'll do." The old man smiled as half a dozen people came running over.

"It always does." I grinned. "Maybe you should stay here until someone comes along, who knows what they're doing."

I explained to the gathering people that the old bloke had hurt his ankle and we needed to probably get him to a hospital. Someone ran off to get help and I stuck by the old man's side, just in case.

Then one of the ladies in the crowd spoke up, "Isn't that Lord Waldroff?"

"I think it is…"

Suddenly everyone was trying to help the old man with the hurt ankle called Lord Waldroff.

"Thank you…thank you…no-I'm quite fine…I just need a doctor." He was saying in response to their sudden questions. Now they were all sucking up to him where moments ago no one had bothered to look in his direction. It was kinda revolting.

In no time at all, a muggle car with lights and everything, called an ambulance I discovered, came by to pick up Lord Waldroff. The crowd started to disperse when the muggle Healers came with a stretcher and started to load him onto it. I started to walk away myself when suddenly I heard Lord Waldroff calling after me.

"You there! Boy!" he cried. I turned around. "Thank you for everything."

"Yeah, it was nothing." I replied.

"I believe that you are a trustworthy young fellow…"

How very wrong he was.

"And so I was wondering if you could do me a small favor."

"Alright."

"I made a reservation at a restaurant just up the road from here at: The Ritz, I wonder if you would be good enough to stop by and just tell them what happened and that I will be unable to make lunch."

I smiled. "I can do that for you, sir."

He beamed. "Good lad. I knew I could rely on you. Thank you again…cheerio!"

They loaded him into the ambulance and I resisted the urge to do a victory dance on the side of the road.

You couldn't ask for a better opportunity. Using a nearby store window for a mirror I smoothed back my black hair and did the best I could to straighten up my outfit. I didn't bother to take off the mittens and the scarf. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the black cane of Lord Waldroff lying beside the gutter. In the black, dirty snow, you never would have seen it. I smiled and picked it up.

I headed up the road, head high-practicing my regal walk…it wasn't that hard. Just act like Regulus really.

The Ritz was a bloody fancy place. Doorman and everything. I strode into the front where a mustached man in a tux was waiting just inside the front doors.

"Good afternoon." I said smoothly. "I believe I made an appointment already, party of one- Lord Waldroff."

"You are Lord Waldroff?" the man sneered.

"I am." I said with a warning look.

The man let out a small snort.

"Do you doubt my validity?" I immediately retorted.

"We expected someone….older."

I raised an eyebrow pretending to be offended. The man looked at me as if he were disgusted and amused with my act.

"Age should never be an indicator of one's sole identity."

"Get out of here little boy and find somewhere else to play your childish games."

"Childish games? I come here for lunch, taking the time out of MY schedule only to be insulted and ridiculed by some measly little man?"

Another man in a tux came over. 'What is going on over here, Rob?"

"This boy believes that he is Lord Waldroff."

The second man looked me up and down. "He does seem a bit young-"

"My point exactly." Mr. Rob Mustache said with a smirk in my direction.

"Gentleman- I find it appalling that you will not take me for my-"

"How about you leave and go play in the snow, young man? We have a reputation to uphold."

"A very nasty one if I say so myself." I snarled.

Suddenly the phone rang and nasty Mustache Man stared at me for a moment before picking up the phone.

"Get out of here before we are forced to call the cops." Said the second.

"I happen to be on good terms with the cops." I said. Not a complete lie, "If they came I could have them arrest you for your appalling disregard and disrespect to one of the most major authority figures of this land."

He started laughing.

Oh shit, they weren't buying it- I was starting to panic slightly, when suddenly- a miracle occurred.

"Oh…well how convenient." Said Mr. Mustache on the phone. "How very convenient, he's standing right here."

And then he held the phone right out to me.

"For you m'lord." He grinned sarcastically before starting to snicker with his friend as they began watching me.

I took the phone, making cautious note of where the speaker and the receiver end were.

I held the phone up to my ear, "Lord Waldroff, speaking."

"John? John is that you? I heard you were going to be dining at the The Ritz."

"Correct my dear chap."

"You sound odd old boy."

"A bit of a cold."

"I heard you were personally walking down there, no problems along the way?"

"None whatsoever."

"Oh good, well I just wanted to see that you got there safely." He sounded totally convinced and from the way he was speaking so loudly into the phone he was either a wizard with no experience using a phone like me or he was slightly deaf. I was assuming that latter.

"Well, I'll drop by tomorrow. I'm sorry I couldn't join you." He said.

"Don't think on it twice dear boy."

"Well cheerio!" he said happily.

I was ready to hang up when I heard the click on the other end of the phone and then stopped, a small smile spreading across my face.

"Oh, you heard about that then?" I said to the empty phone line. "Yes, the ambassador was very kind to give it to me. Although the common people do not seem to appreciate fine culture. When I was on the street today someone asked if I was wearing a rug! Can you imagine? An African royal parting gift!"

The two men looked at each other. I straightened up, enjoying myself.

"You don't say…" I said, forcing myself to look aghast. "They didn't…."

I paused for a short while, thinking of my next move.

"Oh Perkins! How dreadful! And they still wouldn't believe you?"

Pause.

"Even with the papers and identification? They STILL wouldn't believe it was you? Just because of that old coat?"

Nervous glances from the two tuxed men.

I gasped. "They were going to throw you out? Oh Perkins, you don't say! What did you do?"

"Oh good." I said after a short while. "I would have done the exact thing! What happened when the cops came?"

Now the two men were looking very apprehensive.

"Of course I'd press charges! Good for you! Give em the old one, two eh?" I chuckled.

The two men were now talking amongst themselves in low voices.

"I would have loved to see the looks on those owner's faces when you shook hands with Michael from the station!" I laughed. "I bet they begged for forgiveness!"

Pause while I pretended to listen with a furrowed brow.

"Oh they did then…. But please tell me that your still pressing charges?"

The two men seemed to wait on baited breath.

"GOOD!" I exclaimed loudly. "Don't back down from this one. Why, this happened to me a year ago remember over in Surrey?"

"Oh, Perkins- don't be absurd. I wasn't too hard on them. They were only in prison for a short while."

Pause.

"Ah, well if you put it that way-" I smiled examining the silver cane like I was bored. "Well I couldn't help it that their business fell through after that."

They were now staring at me with looks of utmost horror.

"Alright then, I'll perhaps see you tomorrow at the polo match? The Queen should be there too I think-…Yes, well I'll talk to you later Perkins, old chap! Cheerio!"

I hung up the phone and looked back to the pale-faced waiters. "Sorry about that…just a short chat with an old friend….now, where were we?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is there anything else I can get you Lord Waldroff?"

I stretched back in the comfy high-backed chair. I eyed the mustached waiter with contempt.

"Yes…" I drawled. "I would like another cup of tea with this- the teabag must be left in and there must be four sugar cubes on the side."

The waiter hurried off, and I grinned to myself. After the phone call I had been treated like Merlin himself. They had welcomed me in the manner similar to that of highly obedient house-elves and now I was being treated to a full course meal, free of charge as a compensation for my trouble, sitting moreover in the nicest section of the place. I was gobsmacked by the elegant decorations and design of the room.

So far I had eaten whatever had taken my fancy. Duck, pork, weird bits of food that I couldn't even pronounce…it was, I admit it-not half bad. Thinking I was going to sue The Ritz itself, they were eager to prove the quality of their restaurant, and I have to confess- they did an amazing job.

I really did look quite out of place in all the people sitting there. All the men seemed to be wearing a jacket and tie and I only had an ugly scarf with a dragon skin jacket. At one point I wet my finger and kept sliding it around the rim's edge of my crystal white wine glass. Everyone was glaring at me from the noise and it was amusing to watch Rob Mustache and his fellow waiter looking apprehensive, terrified to tell me to stop and terrified the other people were going to walk out on them.

I ordered practically the entire desert menu and I throughout the whole meal, I had been eating ravenously. Living on the streets of London, skint and cold had really made me hungry. When the first dish was brought to me, I dug into it so greedily, the people nearby stared at me in alarm.

Rob Mustache came back with my tea- the teabag still in, and four little sugar cubes on the side. I began eating the sugar cubes with a loud crunching noise, enjoying the feel of them cracking and dissolving in my mouth.

I drank the tea slowly, proud of my success.

"Again, I cannot apologize for our earlier conduct-" Rob said.

I stared at him coolly. "A rather stupid mistake, I suppose, but coming from a brainless specimen such as yourself, one can expect no better."

"Exactly- I mean- er…you nailed it m'lord. Stupid mistake, quite embarrassing- things like this rarely happen here, I can assure you."

I stirred my tea. "Take care that it dosen't."

"Oh no, sir- I mean, Lord Waldroff. Never!" he exclaimed.

I felt kinda bad for him. You could tell that the poor bugger was only trying to do his job. I began folding the fancy cloth napkin into a hat and when I had finished I stood up and stuck it up on his head. He looked surprised and rather embarrassed and I smiled.

"Happy Christmas, Rob." I said bracingly as I picked up the cane and headed out the fancy doors, into the main hall and out onto the snowy street. It was getting dark and I still had to drop off the cane at the nearest police station. I was seriously considering taking it for my own, because it was a pretty cool cane and everything, but I would be lucky if I wasn't arrested in a few hours. I mean, it was really expensive from the look of it, and I'm sure Lord Waldroff sent out his own private army or whatever to go retrieve it.

At any rate, Lord Waldroff may have gotten to eat at a fancy five star restaurant that night, but he was still going to be sleeping outside on the cold London benches.


	6. Lily

**Chapter Seven- Lily**

In the end I gave in. I went to Diagon Alley. I was kindof missing the wizarding world and all if you want to know the truth and all. It had been something I had lived with for as long as I could remember. The muggle world was great and everything but it was like going and living on a foreign planet.

So I went back. Not home you twats- I've already mentioned a hundred times that I wasn't going back.

No, I went to Diagon Alley. I went back to the Leaky Cauldron and headed through the enchanted gateway into the wizarding world.

It wasn't that busy. Some panicked looking last minute Christmas shoppers were running about with their arms full of bags and boxes on the snowy streets and so I began strolling along, popping into shops again when I felt like it. I spent the longest amount of time in the bookstore, because it was warm and two, I found this bloody brilliant book on illegal hexes. The best part of it was that the author was thick enough, TO WRITE THEM DOWN.

How great was that?

Anyways- I was walking along the road, feeling rather bitter and kindof mopey. I was rather lonely I think. I mean, being in London by yourself for a few days is fun and everything but when you're all alone it can get depressing. There were countless times when I'd be doing something and suddenly I'd wish James or even Remus and Peter were there.

As I was thinking these rather depressing thoughts, I passed like a million people who were just making me feel more and more rotten. I passed a happy family walking hand in hand together- the two younger boys splashing about in their boots. I passed two kids- best friends from the looks of it laughing as they walked on the other side of the road. It didn't help through all this that there was Christmas music playing from the stores.

It was rather revolting. And it was just like rubbing salt into the already sore wounds.

I turned the corner abruptly and nearly collided into a red-haired girl carrying a few bags.

As she struggled to catch her balance, and I mine-we both recognized each other.

"Sirius!" Lily exclaimed as she straightened her wool hat. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you." I said.

Lily looked somewhat surprised. Probably because my voice came off sounding all angry and defensive. I forced myself to sound happier.

"How are you?"

"Fine." Lily replied coolly.

I looked at all the bags she was holding. "Do you need help?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes." I said quickly, with a grin.

She glared at me then, her beautiful emerald green eyes narrowed. "Right-I just let you hold my bags and watch as you throw them all into the snow."

"I wouldn't do that."

"Sure." She snorted. "You being the biggest prankster of the school…"

"We're not in school now." I pointed out.

"And does that really change your behavior?"

"Yes. See there are rules at school, and I rebel where there are rules."

"There are rules in the outside world as well."

I paused and thought about this for a minute. Evans had a point. The outside world was cracked up to be a place of freedom, bountiful opportunities and all that Portlock crap but really there were limits and rules there too.

I pushed the thought aside for the moment and reached out, taking the bags from Lily who involuntarily reached for her wand.

"Aw, come'on Lily, I'm a well-bred gentleman, trust me…"

"Sirius Black, of everyone I've ever known I'd have to say you are the person most likely to turn criminal and end up in prison." She said, her hands on her hips.

"Why thank you my dear." I beamed. "Perhaps you'd be generous enough to stretch your kindness just a little bit more and allow me to buy you a cuppa."

Well that really threw her you could tell-and to be truly honest, I really don't know why I said that myself. It just slipped out. I guess I was just so damn glad to see a familiar face I'd do anything to spend more time with them.

Of course-that above sentence excludes Snivellus Snape...and my family.

"I don't think so." Lily said. "I should probably be heading home soon."

"What's the rush?"

"Christmas." She said. "My parents are waiting for me to get home."

"Oh." I said sourly, my happy mood quickly slipping away at the mention of parents. "Right…your parents, of course."

Lily looked at me curiously. "Shouldn't you be getting home yourself?"

I shrugged and handed her bags back to her. "Well…you should probably head back home then. I'll see you around, Evans." I gave her my best attempt at a truly genuine smile, turned and began to walk down the snowy street.

I was halfway to the other side of the street when I heard my name.

"Sirius!...SIRIUS!"

I turned and saw Lily jogging towards me, her bags swinging wildly.

"On second thought-" she said breathlessly. "I'm taking home the bus, so I can probably get away with being a little bit late. I could do for a cup of tea."

"Really?" I asked joyfully.

"As long as you don't use this to your advantage later on." She said, eyeing me warily.

"Don't worry mademoiselle, I will keep this rendezvous strictly platonic."

She blushed. "I meant-"

I laughed loudly. "Come'on then."

She looked as if she were going against her better judgment but she fell into step beside me as we began walking down the road.

"So, last minute Christmas shopping then?" I asked, taking one of the bags from her.

"Oh thanks-Yes, I wasn't going to get Petunia-my sister- a present this year, but in the end I decided that spite doesn't get anybody anywhere."

"I didn't know that you had a sister."

Lily nodded. "She's the biggest muggle you could possibly find. Can't even stand the word 'magic'."

"That must be rough."

She nodded. "Sometimes I just cant hack the animosity. It drives me mad."

"Are your parents okay with you and magic?"

"Yes. They were thrilled when I first got my letter. They've really supported me."

"I can't imagine living without magic sometimes." I confessed.

"It's easier then you'd think." She smiled. Suddenly she stopped short and looked about the street.

"What?"

She was glaring again. "Is James Potter here?" she demanded.

I stared at her. "Why the hell would you think that?"

"Because I know you Sirius Black-and I know James Potter and it is not unlikely that you two would play a prank on me like this."

Damn she was suspicious…or very smart- "Lily," I said indefinitely. "James isn't lurking behind the dustbins or anything. On my word, I haven't seen him since school."

She stood there, still looking unsure if she should trust me or not.

"James hasn't set me up to try to get information about either-He wouldn't resort to such cowardly methods."

Well maybe, James was pretty desperate at this point, but for now, and as far as I knew- it was the truth and I hoped Lily would see it so.

She took a step forward again and we began walkin down the street again.

"I'm trusting you." She muttered. "Although I'll probably regret it in the end."

"Just think of me today as 'Sirius Black, fellow school mate' rather then 'James' best mate'." I suggested.

She smiled. "Its hard to do so. You can't see one of you without the other by his side…do you see why its hard for me to swallow that you're here all by yourself?"

"I suppose when you put it like that…" I admitted. "Oy-how does this place look to you?"

We were standing outside a small tea shop called: 'The Buttercup Café'. The name was as revolting as its cheerfully painted yellow walls but it looked so warm and I was so cold at that point, I didn't give damn where we sat.

Lily said it was fine and so I held the door open for her and we went inside. We found a small table in the corner and sat down. The shop was so cramped with small tables and chairs that I was squeezed up next to the wall where a bright flower printed curtain hung.

We ordered some tea from the small, portly lady who came to wait on us. I specified that my teabag should be left in. I've always liked my tea that way and Lily said it was rather gross when I asked for it that way. We sat there awkwardly in silence for some time before I spoke first.

"So how are your friends….uh-Alice and Jenna, right?"

"Their fine, I would ask how your friends were too…if I cared an ounce about James Potter."

"Come'on Lily, he's not so bad."

"He's your friend-of course you'd say that."

"Maybe you haven't seen the best side of him…even I'll admit he can be conceited and arrogant at times."

"At times?" Lily laughed.

I nodded. "He's not always that bad. He just acts like a big prat around you most of the time because he's trying to impress you."

Lily raised an eyebrow and I wondered if I had gone too far. James was my best mate and everything and talking truthfully about him like this was probably abit much. I had a feeling that if I told him he would blow his top. Of course- I wasn't even going to mention that I had seen Lily to him.

I decided to say nothing more and looked out the window into the road. The waitress came back, dropped off our teas (with my teabag still in, thankfully) and after thanking her we both sat in silence again.

"What's going on, Sirius?" Lily asked me.

"Lily for the last time- James isn't hiding around, I'm not going to play a prank on you and-"

"I didn't mean that. I meant why are you here all by yourself in Diagon Alley right before Christmas?"

I frowned. "Why do you want to know?"

She looked at me with those warm, emerald green eyes. She wasn't looking at me with pity which made me relived because if there's one thing I can't stand, its pity. She just looked expectant, caring like- like she was waiting for me to start talking when I wanted to with her. She looked as if she would wait for as long as necessary, even if it never came. Her expression read nothing but caring and patience.

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. "Well, I- I've been on my own for awhile now."

She said nothing but continued to listen.

"The truth is, I ran away from home."

She didn't look surprised.

I suddenly found myself telling her everything. The argument with my bitch mother, me sleeping in the park and being found out by the policeman, Brock and his gang of bikers, eating at the restaurant….everything. All of my adventures. I don't know why I suddenly started talking but I needed it. I just wanted to talk to somebody who was going to listen and not start telling me what was right and wrong and crap like that….

Lily was a good audience. She laughed at the bits that were pretty funny and listened intently nodding her head at the parts that were more serious. Not once did she interrupt me. And I felt better by the end of it…

"And so here I am…" I said. "Sitting in this ugly café, talking to you."

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "That was a remarkable story, Sirius."

"I'm not making it up." I said hurriedly.

"No. I know you're not." She said. "Even you couldn't come up with a story like that on your own."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sometimes the truth is the best story of all."

I raised an eyebrow. "Where the hell did you find that? A fortune cookie?"

She smiled. "No. It was inside a card at a coffee shop."

I laughed and took a sip of my now cold tea.

She watched me for a moment before saying, "I have a question, Sirius."

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you go to James's place, or one of your other friends homes?"

"James is the only one staying home for Christmas, and I didn't want to ruin it for him and his family for godsakes."

"I don't think he would be bothered by you showing up on his doorstep. On the contrary, he'd be overjoyed."

"What makes you say that?"

"You two are best friends, and friends care about eachother." She stated. "Even James Potter I'm sure has a heart for his best friend."

"Oh, I know he'd probably take me in…maybe even his parents would as well, but…."

"But, what?"

I shrugged. "I dunno."

"Well you've had your adventure- plenty of in fact- but Christmas is coming and everybody should be home for Christmas."

"Lily- I'm not walking back into the nuthouse ever again. I'll kill myself before I go walking inside that front door. I mean it- I'm never going back."

"I know that. And I can see why you left, I never knew it was that bad at home for you, and if I was in your shoes, I probably would have done the same- but I meant James's place."

"That's HIS home. When people are home for Christmas, they want to be with their families."

"Exactly." Lily said matter-of-factedly. "And you and James are like brothers…how much closer can you get?"

I stared at her.

I was starting to feel really uncomfortable, I couldn't figure out why I had told Lily all those things. Why Lily?

"I don't know why I told you all this." I muttered, staring at a wooden knot on the tabletop.

"Does it matter?"

"Well…" I said awkwardly. I didn't see Lily going into school and telling everyone but you never knew…she had seen a side of me that no one not even my friends would.

Lily seemed to be reading my mind. "I'm not going to go back to school and tell everyone, 'Sirius Black ran away from home and had a crazy adventure in London.'" She said. "I have no intention of telling anyone that I spent a few hours in a cozy café with you at all." She smiled. "I'm afraid most people's minds will not take that in the most platonic way."

I threw back my head and laughed at that. "I like you Lily."

"I'm afraid I have to say the same." She grinned. "There's a different side of you outside of school."

"Is there?" I asked with interest.

"Yes. I can't place my finger on it…."

"I was thinking the same thing really."

"On what?"

"You're different outside of school as well."

Lily looked surprised. "I am?"

"Yeah."

"Perhaps we're more alike then we previously thought."

I thought about this. "You're really sensible."

"And you're more sensitive than you appear."

"Maybe we're more mature?" I snickered.

She smiled. "Maybe."

I downed the rest of my tea.

"That's an interesting scarf by the way."

"Oh, d'ya like it?"

"You should wear it more often."

"Yeah, and be laughed at and mocked by my fellow classmates for the rest of my life."

"Good point…but its so colorful, and the texture is amazing…" Lily's eyes were sparkling as she sarcastically insulted my ugly scarf.

"Oh you're so funny. Who would have thought a picky prefect like yourself would have the wit to pop out a comment like that? "

"That was harsh, but seeing as what you've done to other girls, I expect nothing less."

"What's that mean?"

"They're usually crying over the things you've done or haven't done, if you haven't noticed. Like last Valentines Day, I recall Julia Kettlesburn was in tears-"

"Yeah because I gave her a yellow rose for Valentine's Day and apparently it only means friendship or something…"

Lily burst out laughing very loudly.

"What?"

She couldn't stop. She had tears in her eyes.

"What's so funny?"

"Yellow roses represent jealousy and infidelity, Sirius." She chocked out as she clung to the tabletop for support.

"They do?"

"Yes."

"Oh." I smiled. "Well, tha'd explain it."

We kept talking for good while longer, about school, the work, the professors, Lily was one of the few girls I've been able to have a decent conversation with, without her flicking her hair or batting her eyes. It doesn't bother me always but would one relatively thought provoking conversation really be asking for too much from a woman? We talked about our friends too, and I told her one or two of our Marauder exploits. It made me smile inwardly to see that Lily as hard as she was trying not to show it-was listening with interest to the stories…especially to the one's where James Potter's name was mentioned quite often.

Make you sick indeed, does he Lily?

We talked for awhile longer before Lily said she had better be going home and I agreed to walk her down to the bus stop.

I stood up and as I turned to leave, realized my scarf had been caught on the curtains on the wall. I tugged but the scarf remained snagged and the curtain came with it.

I stood there fighting off the clinging curtain while Lily laughed.

"Sirius Black," she joked. "Killed by a drapery."

"I have a better chance of being strangled by this scarf." I said in exasperation. "Or being blinded by its mad colors."

We walked back outside and down the street talking lightheartedly about Christmas and shopping and things like that. Soon we had reached the corner where the Knight Bus usually came to pick up wizard shoppers. I handed back her bags as she stuck out her arm and flagged down the purple, double-decker bus.

"Welcome to the-" the uniformed man announced as he leapt down.

"Knight Bus." Lily finished for him. "Yes, thank you."

She handed her bags to the man and as he brought them on board, turned back to face me.

I wasn't sure what to say. I'd see Lily Evans again at school, but I might never see the Lily Evans that I had met today for a few short hours. But it didn't matter. A few hours had been all we needed. "Bye Lily, and thanks…for everything."

She stood on her tip-toes and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "Happy Christmas, Sirius." she said before going onto the bus, paying for her ticket and finally sitting down in an empty seat next to the window. She smiled and waved to me, as I stood there on the sidewalk my hands in my jacket pockets.

I smiled back at her as the bus quickly pulled away from the curb and vanished at the end of the street with a loud 'CRACK'!

I slowly turned back up the empty street, my heart lighter than it had been in days…

It was starting to snow.


	7. Silent Night

**Chapter Eight- Silent Night**

The carolers drove me mad. Really bloody mad. Christmas Eve Day I spent throwing snowballs at all the carolers that were singing around the city. Half of them stunk and the other half sang revolting songs about 'Peace on Earth' which was ironic because with them singing- no one in that city was going to get any peace. So in a way, I was doing everyone a favor.

It was a rather crowded day in the streets of London. I spent most of the day however wandering the streets thinking about what Lily had said about me going home…to James' place.

I wanted to go. I really did. But something was holding me back…I was almost- afraid. The slight possibility of them just taking me in out of charity was a looming possibility. I hated pity and I hated charity. Bah humbug. I didn't know what to expect, and besides- what would I say once I had reached their home?

'Oy James-Happy Christmas, I'm here to crash at your place for a few weeks…so I hope you and your folks don't mind.'

Even in my head the words sounded stupid. They'd get annoyed with me eventually, well- maybe not James, but his parents definitely.

I tried to remind myself that Christmas was a dumb old holiday and wasn't worth its own weight in dragon shit but it didn't make me feel any better.

I tried to push the thoughts out of my head and tried to enjoy my day.

I had an enormous snowball fight with these little tykes at the park. Some of their parents that were watching nearby and weren't too happy when I started throwing ice packed balls- but where's the fun if there isn't a little danger now and then, eh? And besides, even though they were little, they outnumbered me by a lot. Then at the end of our war…we all made snow angels in the snow together. I don't know why kids do weird stuff like that- but there you have it and they wanted me to make one with them because I was the biggest one there. It's a careful art….snow angels. For one, trying to do it without getting a ton of snow down your shirt or down your pants requires a miracle, no pun intended. And then trying to get out of your snow angel creation without making footsteps coming out of it and messing up the design is another challenge.

Their parents came over eventually and after eyeing me suspiciously, dragged their kids home a few of which waved some rather reluctant goodbyes to me.

I made some snowmen- one looked uncannily like Albus Dumbledore our headmaster and so I got a good laugh out of that as I tried finding the most crooked stick possible for his nose. A tabby cat had been watching me nearby so I threw a snowball at it for ruining my concentration.

In time, I grew cold and I went inside the closest department store just to warm up. There was a large mirror by the entrance and I stood in front of it and stared at my reflection for some time…

I was very pale, and my face looked rather thin and hollow from the lack of food. I needed a good shave too- The red slashes on my face that my mother had given me were still distinctly there, and my clothes, including my scarf and mittens looked rather disheveled and scruffy.

I looked like a bum or something- I smiled.

There was a tap on my shoulder and I turned around to see a posh looking saleswoman standing there, glaring down at me. "Can I help you young man?"

"With what?" I replied.

She straightened up and looked down at me coldly. "This is a lingerie store."

I stared at her and then looked behind her and realized she was perfectly right. I raised an eyebrow. "Yes," I said sarcastically. "Perhaps you can help me. I'm looking for some seasonal thongs with little bells on them and perhaps a purple, white lace lined bra."

Her eyes widened. She opened her mouth in surprise and then stopped.

"I'm kidding." I said. "Merlin's beard, you women never cease to amaze me…"

I headed back to Traflagar square, my hands in my pockets. There was a giant Christmas tree there-big fir from the look of it and it was all lit up for Christmas. I stared at it for a long time and just sat by the fountain and watched people passing by.

As it grew darker I began to wander the streets again- some of them were lit up by overhead decorations. As I was walking- I began thinking about the past few days and everyone I had met- My bobby friend, Brock and his gang, Rob Mustache, Lily…I even thought about home and wondered what my parents and my yellow-bellied brother were doing that very moment in that cold, dark house.

I found myself standing outside a large skating rink- there were a few people trying their best. Most people I noted couldn't skate and the few that could were really showing off by doing these graceful twirls and shit.

There was a place nearby to rent skates, but I casually took a pair without asking…borrowing without permission one might say.

I strapped on my skates and headed out onto the rink. I wasn't the best skater, but at least I wasn't falling down so much. I got the hang of it real fast.

So there I was skating in the middle of London- my ugly scarf trailing behind me. Just skating…I felt like it, that's all and I still don't know why I did it. I kept skating around and around…avoiding smashing into the wall. With the over head lights- the ice rink looked as if it were made of glass or something. Around…and around…

Somewhere nearby music began playing-

_"I'm dreaming of a white….Christmas._

_Just like the ones I used to know…_

_Where the treetops glisten, _

_And children listen-_

_To hear….sleigh bells in the snow."_

I had never stopped as a child to listen for sleigh bells. I lived in the middle of London for godsakes. It wasn't like sleighs were just outside my window. I wondered who wrote this song and wondered if they had considered what city children might or might not hear in winter.

"…_.I'm dreaming of a white Christmas  
With every Christmas card I write  
May your days be merry and bright  
And may all your Christmases be white_…"

I remembered being forced to write Christmas cards by my mother who used to make me and Regulus write cards to all our relatives in addition to her own snooty, elegant, calligraphed ones. I used to write the cards wishing more of them had died so that I wouldn't have to write as many.

"..._I'm dreaming of a white Christmas._

_Just like the ones I used to know…_

_Where the treetops glisten, _

_And children listen-_

_To hear….sleigh bells in the snow."_

White Christmas indeed. They say an official white Christmas is a Christmas Day where snow actually falls from the sky that very day. As far as I knew, England hadn't had one in ages.

I had never had a white Christmas. All my Christmases had been black. Black like our family name…relatives coming to our place or us going to theirs and I had always hated everyone there. Their ideas, their attitudes-everything. I was the 'white sheep' of the family. I remember when I was really little I would stare out my dark window on Christmas and wish I was secretly adopted and that someday my real family would come and take me away.

It never happened. In the end, I had to grow up and accept that my family was my real one. The worst one, but was truly my family. And I hated them all. When people said the word family, I always inwardly turned to stone. The mention of family sent an ice cold chill to settle in my bones. I always felt different from other kids who even though they complained about their parents and siblings, still loved them. And they loved them in return.

Who needed family anyways? All they had done was made my life a living hell. One could do without family…I was living proof of it….

And yet…

I slowed my pace and skated on, thinking hard.

_'…Christmas is coming, and everybody should be home for Christmas…'_

Lily's words rang about in my head. People went home for Christmas to be with their families…

_'…And you and James are like brothers…how much closer can you get?'_

Damn. Evans had an answer for everything. But as it were- me and James WEREN'T brothers. Oh sure- we were best friends and we did everything together and at times I would be started by how alike we were, but it still came down to the fact that James was a Potter and I was a Black.

I skated awhile longer before returning my skates and began walking the streets again. It was dark, and I was cold- and I did not want to sleep outside again.

The streets were getting more and more empty. Around me not only were the stores and nightlife of London were closing down for the night but- everyone else…it grew more and more quiet as the night dragged on.

There was a small, gothic looking church squeezed between these two buildings and against my better judgment, I climbed the stairs and went inside. In the front of the room was an alter and on it was a mini stable with some hay poking out of it.

A lady and a man were both looking down on a baby that was in a feeding trough. Some shepherd boys and three dark men with crowns were kneeling nearby.

I was getting pretty disgusted with all the families the past few hours had thrown at me. Everywhere I had gone in London I had passed families walking together or seen holiday advertisements and signs with chuffed looking families. But the family in the stable looked possibly more abnormal than mine was. I don't know what that couple was thinking putting a half-naked baby in a feeding trough. Talk about bad family planning…and then those little boys bringing in the smelly sheep into the place. And why three blokes with crowns were kneeling in the middle of a cold, manure filled stable was beyond me.

I stared at the scene wondering why a baby would be half sitting up with his arms outstretched too. Maybe he was freezing his ass off and wanted to be picked up to stay warm- I didn't blame him. That or maybe he had a dirty diaper. And everyone was too clean looking- I mean, those shepherd boys had perfect curling blonde hair and the three king fellows had really fancy, spotless robes.

I turned away from the bizarre stable scene and looked around the rest of the church. It was dark in there, only a few candles- but I was out of the biting wind at least- so I found a pew and lay down.

Above me was an arched and elegant ceiling. I stared at it, and then tried to read one of the books left in the pew- tired of that real fast and began carving my name with a small penknife in my pocket into the bottom of the seat.

It was so quiet…in no time at all, my mind began to drift off- and I fell asleep.


	8. A White Christmas

**Chapter 9- A White Christmas**

_Author's note/fact: Ironically there have only been **SIX **official London white Christmases recorded in this past century. December 25th, **1976** was one of those years…._

I woke very early. The back door of the church had opened and shut and the noise echoed loudly off the high ceiling. There was this old man heading up the aisle- so in order to avoid giving the craggy bloke a heart attack or something I crawled out of the pew and snuck out down the side.

It was a grey, crisp morning. There was no traffic, no people walking the streets. Just a light frost covering everything- making it look spectacular.

I began walking again…this was fine. I would just spend another day on the streets…and the day after that…and the day after that…I wasn't too bothered by it actually. Maybe I could get a job and start saving up some money for a motorbike or something. Hell, I had finally gotten to ride one, hadn't I? The prospect of owning one all of my own made me smile.

I wondered what my stupid family was doing. I wondered what families all over Britain were doing now…probably waking up to open up their wrapped presents. I should have sent a wrapped pile of shit to my family's front door.

It was a bit of a drag. There was nothing to do on the empty streets… my gloomy mind turned back to the argument I had had with myself the night before.

James would be home with his folks, celebrating the happy day of Christmas- He had his family…why should I still keep holding onto that stupid childhood fantasy of mine that there was another family out there for me? I had my family- it was messed up, I didn't need them, case closed. I had left them behind for good when I had walked out that front door not so long ago. It began to snow gently from the sky then…I looked up towards the grey sky where small flakes were falling sporadically. They landed gently around me and blew around my face as I walked on.

When it came to picking lots for life, I had gotten the short one. They were still my family even if I had walked out on them. I was a Black whether I liked it or not- always pure….

Suddenly I stopped dead in my tracks, my breath caught in my throat as a wave of enlightenment poured over me. I had just realized the problem. All along I had still been holding onto a piece of my family. As much as I despised them and swore to never uphold or do anything they taught me- I had kept one view of theirs with me. I had always held onto the idea that they were my family. That James and I weren't really brothers simply because we weren't truly related. That ment nothing. That famous quote, something about us picking our friends and not our families was all messed up. I could pick my family. I had had a family all along, only I had been too thick to realize it. I had been so goddamned stupid. The Marauders had been my family. We were all brothers. For years I had wasted my time wishing my new family would come along, when really they had been in front of me the whole time.

I started to laugh then. I threw back my head and laughed….and laughed and laughed…I laughed until my sides ached and I had tears streaming down my face, mixed with the falling wet snowflakes that had landed on me.

I straightened up and ran down the street whooping at the top of my lungs and laughing like a maniac. I jumped over overturned dustbins and swung around the parking meters…

I ran all the way back to Trafalgar square and leaped onto the fountain- it was wet obviously and I was soaked up to my knees but I climbed up all the way to the top of the fountain-luckily it wasn't running, they had turned it off ages ago from the cold- I stood on the top and stared around the grey, frost covered square.

"I'M GOING HOME!!!!!!!!!" I screamed in joy. "HOME!!!!"

My words rang loudly from all corners of the square sending up a frightened flock of pigeons.

The snow was falling heavily now from the sky, and as it fell the small, beautiful flakes began to cover the ground. As I stared, more and more snow began falling…and falling…in seconds- the entire square was filled with small white flakes billowing about in large white clouds from the bitterly cold wind…

At last…

A white Christmas…

* * *

The English countryside was still white by the time I reached James's town. I had been walking along the relatively empty highway from London to the country when I hitchhiked a ride off a truck driver who opened the side door, grumbling and telling me it was too cold for a kid like me to be out on my own. He was a friendly guy all in all, we must have smoked like 4 cartons of fags between us. There was no heat in the truck, the radio was all static and so it was the only thing to do to keep our minds off the numbing cold.

Luckily the driver was going in the same direction I was headed. When we arrived at where I knew James's hometown was, I thanked the driver who told me to get home and don't do stupid things like walking on the side of the road in the middle of the winter.

I had bought, er- 'borrowed' a fruitcake back in London. I felt I had to bring a present or something. I heard that if you bring presents to people, they're more relaxed about you coming into their houses. So when I saw the sign that said, 'The best Christmas gift for everyone' I knew I couldn't go wrong. It looked kinda odd, and it was rather hard when I poked it but I carried it under my arm to the Potter's house just the same.

The snow was still falling a bit. Not as bad here, but it was still gently snowing.

The streets were empty…I thought hard about the address James had told me and in due time, I managed to find the road.

James' house was a magnificent structure. There wasn't a fence around it- their lawn just sort of ran into the neighbors. It was a very large beautiful house and it had a wreath on the door, and candles in all the windows.

It looked….warm and welcoming. Everything that my old home wasn't.

I stood there shivering on the footpath feeling like the worlds biggest prat. I was torn between walking up there and turning around and bumming another ride back to London and spending the next few weeks living without a cent to my name until Christmas break was over and I had to return to Hogwarts.

To turn around was cowardly- and one thing that I, Sirius Black was not- was a coward.

Before I could think too long and hard about what the hell I was doing, and change my mind- I walked up the path and found myself standing on the Potter's front doorstep.

I bit my lip. What if they were doing something like eating early Christmas dinner or something? Like a family thing?

Bugger this. I'm just visiting. That will be my excuse. I was just passing by the area and dropped by to say hello.

I cleared my throat, and reached out an ugly mittened hand to knock on the gold doorknocker in the shape of a lion's head.

There was a long pause.

Maybe no one was home. That would suck because I did not just drive in a un heated truck all those miles just to wait here on their front step for a couple of hours until whenever they came back.

The idea of sitting out here on my arse in the cold made me knock on the door again, a bit harder this time.

I stood there and then froze as I heard footsteps coming to the door. I could hear a familiar voice- "No, it's alright Apples, I've got it."

The door swung open and standing in front of me was my best mate, James Potter wearing pajama bottoms and a Montrose Magpies sports shirt. His hazel eyes widened when he saw who it was.

"Hey." I said.

James stared at me in shock, looking speechless.

"Er- I was just passing by the area and so I thought maybe if you guys weren't busy, well- I know its Christmas and everything, but I was just wondering if I could say hello and uh, Happy Christmas."

James seemed to wake up at last and he pulled me into a rough bear hug. "PADFOOT!" he exclaimed. "What the bloody hell are you doing? Come in!"

"Well, I mean- I won't stay long. Just to-"

"Who is it James?" called a female voice from within the house.

"It's Sirius!" James exclaimed happily.

Mrs. Potter came around the corner, a slightly wrinkled and friendly looking woman. She seemed to radiate kindness and warmth.

"Sirius!" she smiled. "How good of you to stop by! Come in! Don't stand out there in the cold."

"Well, I'm just here to say Happy Christmas and-"

James grabbed me and pulled me inside before I could finish my pre-rehearsed speech.

"Here's a present for you." I said immediately, thrusting the fruitcake into Mrs. Potter's hands.

She looked slightly surprised. "Oh…" she said, turning it over in her hands. "It's lovely dear."

"It's a cake." I told her.

She smiled and nodded. "How very thoughtful of you."

"It looks disgusting." James said.

Mrs. Potter gave her son an exasperated look which he ignored.

"Where have you been Padfoot? How is everything?"

"Oh, uh. I've been around a bit. The past few days have been a little interesting."

"You look exhausted Sirius- and very cold. Too thin…" Mrs. Potter began tutting as she fixed me with a thoughtful look. "Very peaky…"

"Come into the living room." James said dragging me down the hallway with him. Mrs. Potter was right behind me still muttering about my condition and such, "Can I get you a cup of tea, or something to eat, Sirius?"

"Oh, I'm alright, Mrs. Potter."

We turned the corner and into a warm, living room filled with comfortable looking chairs and seats. The floor was littered with wrapping paper and there was a large fire crackling in the chimney. An enormous green Christmas tree- nearly as big as the one in Trafalgar square- stood in the conger. It almost reached the height of the high arched ceiling and it was decorated with thousands of lights, baubles, ornaments and shiny garlands.

Mr. Potter was in there, his spectacles on the edge of his nose. He was sitting in a large red armchair, reading a heavy book that still had bits of wrapping paper stuck on it. On our entrance he looked up.

"Sirius…right?" he asked standing up to shake my hand. "About time you came to visit. All James does is mope about the place until he can return to Hogwarts."

"I'm just popping by." I said again. "I really don't want to mess up your guys Christmas and everything."

"Oh dear- you're not messing it up! Not at all, we don't have anything planned." Mrs. Potter said cheerfully pushing a few stray locks of graying brown hair out of her face.

A small houself with rather large rosy cheeks came around the corner suddenly, wearing a rather warm looking outfit.

"Oh Sirius, this is Apples- she's our houself."

The houself bowed low and smiled kindly. "Apples is very glad to meet young Sirius Black. Apples hears nothing but good things about him."

This was such a shock after living with nasty Kreacher for so many years, it took me a few seconds to properly reply back. "It's great to meet you too Apples."

"What the hell are you wearing?" James asked me suddenly.

"Language James!" exclaimed Mrs. Potter

"Sorry Mum- What is it? It's hideous!" James asked tugging my scarf. "Aw, and the mittens match! How cute!"

"I bought them because I was cold."

"Bought them or took them from a charity shop? Who would actually wear something like this? You'd have to be blind or something…"

I grinned. "I know. The colors are mad aren't they?"

"James-" Mrs. Potter said with a stern look.

"It's alright Mrs. Potter, I know it looks ridiculous."

"Yeah, that's one word I would use." James said sarcastically. "The pom-pom balls on the mittens are simply lovely."

"I got you matching ones."

"Really?"

"No."

"I haven't seen James this animated in months." Mr. Potter remarked dryly from the sofa.

"Nor I." Mrs. Potter said.

James rolled his eyes. "So how long are you staying?" he asked me earnestly.

"Oh- er…" I said uncomfortably staring at the floor. "I'm not really staying…"

"Do you have to get back to your family dear?" Mrs. Potter asked kindly.

I took a deep breath. "Well, no… it's just, I- I…"

Mr. and Mrs. Potter waited for me to say something- watching me curiously.

James noticed my awkwardness. He threw an arm around my shoulder and said quickly, "I'm going to show Sirius around and get him a jumper or something."

This is one of the reasons that I loved James. He was quite sharp. He could tell when something was wrong and he was a certified genius of saving you when you were in a tight spot like I had been in seconds before. All of my friends were caring of course, well, Peter could be a bit slow sometimes- but James always had the suave charm. He made everything sound so careless and easygoing but he always knew that something was wrong and knew when you needed to be saved from embarrassment.

Mrs. Potter stood up. "That's a good idea. You look half-frozen Sirius and it would be cruel of us to keep you standing around uncomfortably for so long. Go upstairs with James and find something warm to wear."

James dragged me out into the hall before I could protest. "Right- here's the main hall. Here's a dining room, some other room we never use- that's a closet- I don't know what that room is for…there's the library, here are the stairs-" he leapt up them taking two at a time. "Here's my parents room, guest room, guest room, guest room- the toilet, that's a good thing to know where its at- and of course, MY ROOM!" he exclaimed as we reached the end of the landing and came to a door that had a large sign on it reading: "Do not enter- anyone who trespasses will be hexed and survivors will be hexed again."

"Nice sign." I laughed.

"Yeah, Mum doesn't think it's that funny though." James said, rolling his eyes as he pushed open the door.

I looked around. It was quite different from my room at my old home. I hadn't been allowed to tack anything on the walls and it had to be neat and tidy. I didn't have a lot to make a mess out of anyways. Here was James Potter's room however. It was large- it had numerous Montrose Magpie posters hanging on the walls. There was a large chair in the corner with clothes piled on top of it- the bed was unmade and numerous things like a broom care kit, a large owl cage, Quidditch magazines and books lay scattered about as though a whirlwind had swept through.

"So-" James said as he opened his closet door and walked inside looking for some spare clothes. "What's the story?"

I flopped myself down on his bed. "Well," I said slowly, picking at a loose thread from one of the blankets. "It's long."

"I wanna hear it."

I grinned. "I joined a secret organization of spies, got arrested, jumped on as a stowaway on a ship to Europe, went and blew up a vampire mansion in Transylvania and then journeyed to India where I married the muggle raja's daughter."

"Did you really?" James asked poking his head out of the closet. "Because, really it wouldn't surprise me if you did."

I laughed. "No, I didn't you stupid prat. I did get arrested though."

James had now crawled out of the closet and he sat himself down on the floor listening to me intently.

"I ran away from home." I said proudly.

"And that's why you were arrested?"

"No. I was arrested for sleeping in a park."

"By one of the muggle pleasemen? Did they chase you in those funny cars with the lights and sirens?"

"No. He let me off the hook and bought me some tea."

"Huh." Said James. "Why did he do that? Wait- start at the beginning- how did you run away?"

So I told him the whole story. As I told it to him I realized it was a pretty damn exciting story and so if nothing else- it was fun to hear about and therefore worth telling. But I felt that he needed to hear it in a way. I was hoping that by telling him everything he would understand better why I was there. I have no clue why he would have figured that out but it seemed to make sense at the time. As I talked to him, I realized with a jolt of surprise that I had had a very similar conversation the other day with a red headed girl listening as intently as James was. Of course, in my story to James, I did not mention my encounter with Lily Evans. I don't think Lily would have been to happy about it- and secondly as I explained earlier- what happened that day was one of those deals where something happens that you'll always remember but you don't need to tell to many other people afterwards. In fact if you tell other people- it loses the unique element it once had. Its kinda like a decent one night stand- except me and Lily were sitting in a bright café in the middle of the afternoon and we weren't having sex.

When I had finally finished I sat back and watched James who was laying stretched out on the floor and who was letting out a long breath very slowly. "So you finally ran away." He commented.

"Yeah."

"It's about time." He said. "I can't say I totally didn't expect it. From all the times at the train station and the occasional comments you made about your family at school- it sounded pretty bad- but I had no idea that things were that terrible."

"Yeah, well its over with now."

"So what are you going to do?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'll just keep going to school and during the summer I'll find somewhere to live..."

"Like on a bench again?" James asked impatiently. "I still don't know why you didn't come here the first moment after you walked out of your house. Don't be so thick, Padfoot- we're taking you in."

" You can't just take me in…what about your parents?"

"What about them? My Mum asks me every time after we see you when you're coming to stay with us and my Dad wouldn't mind at all! We have more than enough room! It would be brilliant if you lived with us!"

"Well…" I said stiffly.

"Do you not want to live with us?" James asked.

I looked up from the blanket that I had been picking at. "Are you mad? Of course I do! I'd love to live here!" I exclaimed.

James smiled. "Then stay. We'll go down and ask my parents together." He stood up and tossed me some warm looking clothes and a towel he had found for me. "Go take a shower. Here are some extra clothes to change into- you look like you've been in Azakaban for 12 years or something."

"Thanks."

I found the bathroom at the end of the hall and took the longest shower of my life. God- it was heaven. I think I may have used up all the hot water too but by the time I got out I felt loads better. I hadn't been properly clean in days.

When I changed and went downstairs I followed the sounds of voices coming down the halls from one of the rooms.

"-James! Stop double dipping-"

"Dad did it a second ago."

"No, I didn't." Mr. Potter said coolly.

"Leonius-" Mrs. Potter said sternly.

"I don't know what our son is talking about."

"You both are hopeless." Mrs. Potter said sounding thoroughly exasperated.

I walked into the room then, they were all in the living room sitting around. James was flipping through a new quidditch magazine. Mr. Potter was reading the paper and Mrs. Potter was knitting. On one of the coffee tables was a large platter of crackers and snacks with some dip and cheese.

"Finally!" James said looking up happily. "We've been waiting for you."

"Sorry."

James jumped to his feet and went over to stand by me. "Mum…Dad…we wanted to ask you something."

Mrs. Potter stopped her knitting and Mr. Potter after folding up the Prophet put it aside to watch us intently.

"Sirius here, doesn't have anywhere to live anymore- he ran away from home a few days ago…well, his parents practically forced him out and so I was wondering if he could live here with us."

The room was silent. I had to say something on my behalf, so I did just that, "I know its probably really rude to just invite yourself to someone's home like this- but if I lived here I swear I wouldn't bother you at all- I could sleep out in the shed in the backyard or something. If you guys don't want me around on certain days- I'll lay low and I swear you won't even know I'm around. I won't leave a mess around the place, I'll help you trim your lawn or whatever-I can eat meals in the kitchen and I'll do my own laundry- I'll get a job-I promise I won't be a bother."

There was a long silence that stretched for what seemed like eternity.

Then, Mrs. Potter stood up slowly and walked over to us- me and James both holding our breaths as she approached us.

"Oh my dear boy-" she said gently, and she did the most unexpected thing I ever could have imagined. She came up to me and wrapped her arms around me in a warm, caring hug.

I was more than very startled. Rather petrified if you wanted to know the truth. I had never been hugged by a motherly figure before. Girls at school occasionally would hug- but to be hugged by someone who cared about me like a mother- well, it threw me to say the least. My bitch mother had never hugged me- and if you want to know- it was nice to be hugged- if not a little strange.

When she stood back, she was beaming and her eyes were rather teary. "Sirius, nothing would make us happier. You can live with us for as long as you like."

"And you won't have to live out in the shed." Mr. Potter smiled, standing up and coming over as well. "Though I'll admit- it might be nice to get some help with the lawn since someone else here never does it."

James rolled his eyes.

"We can turn over one of the guest rooms to be yours-" Mrs. Potter was saying, "And of course we can buy some things for you- like extra clothes and such-"

"It's alright- I don't want to be any trouble."

"From all the detentions you and James receive at school I'm sure that's open to interpretation." Mr. Potter laughed.

"Don't worry Dad, Padfoot is very well behaved most of the time."

"Padfoot?" Mr. Potter asked with a frown.

"It's Sirius's nickname." James said with a knowing smile at me.

"-and of course you're just like James I imagine, so just feel free to raid the kitchen whenever you'd like-" Mrs. Potter was still saying to me. "Where have you been living for the past few days then?"

"I've been living wherever I could in London, Mrs. Potter."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, her eyes full of concern. "All alone in London! You poor thing! You must have been miserable!"

"Yeah- he didn't have any money to buy food so had to buy things from loose muggle change that he found." James said.

"No food?!?!" Mrs. Potter cried. "Why on earth didn't you say so!?!? Oh! I feel so awful! You're probably starving! Sit down and eat the crackers- I'm going to get you something to eat!"

"We're going to eat Christmas dinner in a half hour!" Mr. Potter pointed out.

"Tell that to a starving teenage boy, Leonius!" she shouted as she flew off in a fury to the kitchen.

We all looked at eachother, shrugged and sat down. James pushed the crackers towards me and I tried to eat them as slowly as I could, but the speed still caused James to raise his eyebrows.

Mr. Potter asked me a couple of easy questions about what I had seen in London and where my family lived there until Mrs. Potter came in carrying a tray covered with food.

"We're just about to eat Christmas dinner dear, but here's a small snack while we wait."

"Thanks Mrs. Potter-" I said through a mouthful of crackers.

Mrs. Potter turned back to her son. "Isn't this nice James? You finally got the Christmas present that you always wanted."

"Shut up Mum." James mumbled his ears pink.

"What did you always want?" I asked with a grin.

"Oh he's wanted a brother for ages. When he was little and we told him we had a present for him he always used to ask if it was a brother." Mrs. Potter said fondly ruffling her son's untidy mop of hair. "But me and Leonius decided long ago that one child was enough for us."

James looked highly embarrassed. "Stop messing up my hair Mum." He said as he shook off her hand from his head.

"It never lays flat!" she frowned staring at him. "Perhaps its time we went for another haircut-"

"NO MUM." James said firmly.

"Well Sirius, you look as though you could do for a good haircut too."

"And a shave." Mr. Potter remarked.

"Actually Mr. Potter I was thinking on growing a nice long beard that I could tuck into my belt…"

They all started laughing and I smiled. At Mr. and Mrs. Potter's request, I started telling them some of my adventure- and I told the cleanest version possible of it, of course. They were adopting me as a second son so I wasn't going to botch it up for myself within only being there for a few hours.

Soon enough- Apples came around the corner- announcing that dinner was ready. Me and James headed to the dining room together as Mrs. Potter went to check on something in the kitchen with Apples and Mr. Potter worked at the fire in the living room to bring it back to life.

Me and James arrived in the room, and I saw that Apples and Mrs. Potter had outdone themselves. There was a large roast turkey, stuffing, roasted and mashed potatoes, vegetables, bread sauce, cranberry sauce and gravey….everywhere I looked on that table was covered in some sort of mouthwatering dish. My stomach growled hungrily and so loudly that James started laughing.

"Oh shut it." I said happily.

James's smile faded as he looked at me, with embarrassment. "So now you know how I always wanted brother."

"Did you know that I always wanted one too?"

"What about Regulus?"

"Do you think that I ever considered arse-faced Regulus, with his out of whack priorities- as a real brother?"

James grinned but before he could say anything Mr. Potter came in, clapped his hands and looked at the food on the table. "Looks delicious." He commented.

Mrs. Potter entered with Apples, carrying in a few more trays. James and Mr. Potter sat down. I sat down as well in the carved, high backed, cushioned chair- and looked about, uncomfortably. It was just so perfect….like one of those godamn Christmas cards. You know, the family sitting together around the huge table covered in food- everyone smiling, the warm fire crackling in the background providing an enormous fire hazard for the hanging boughs on the mantle place. The perfect food- not burned, just perfect and decorated with one or two sprigs of holly. I looked about waiting for something to happen- like my dear old Mum come screaming into the place or the muggle bobby coming back to haul me to jail for impersonating Lord Waldroff.

But it didn't happen and before I knew it we were all seated, and piling food onto our china plates. I dug into the food- trying to go slowly but I still managed to have everyone stare at me as I began wolfing it down. It was so godamn good.

"Hungry dear?" Mrs. Potter said, looking pained at how fast I was eating.

"Sirius hasn't eaten much in the past few days Mum." James reminded her.

I swallowed my large piece of turkey. "I'm sorry." I said hoarsely. "I'll slow down."

"Its fine." Said Mr. Potter. "I imagine I would be eating as ravenously as a dog if I had been on my own-"

James chocked on a mouthful of mashed potatoes as he burst out laughing. I smiled. Mrs. and Mr. Potter who exchanged confused looks over James's bent head, obviously not knowing why James thought this was so funny- they probably thought he was becoming unhinged or something- but they smiled anyways. They hadn't the slightest clue that their son was thinking about how me and him were illegal animaguses…and I was Padfoot, the dog.

We continued eating and talking cheerfully with each other while outside the last of the white flakes fell against the large French windows. The meal lasted awhile- me eating most of it- but when we had finally finished, our plates scraped clean and my stomach near to bursting-

"We'll have the cake after a cup of tea I think." Mrs. Potter said as she stood up.

The rest of the evening was peaceful and relaxing. We all sat around together by the open fire…James showed me some of his gifts he had gotten for Christmas and he gave me my own Christmas present. I was excited to see that it contained a large book all about wizard motorbikes and better yet- my now repaired two way mirror. Me and James have these mirrors that we enchanted so that we can talk to each other when we are stuck in separate detentions or something. A few months ago when I had been on the run from Filch after repainting all the portraits on the fourth floor I fell down the stairs and unfortunately the mirror had been in my pocket. It broke as I landed on it and lucky me some of the shards got stuck in my side so I was bleeding and everything. I had to go to the hospital wing and got nothing but ridicule from everyone who heard I gotten hurt from a mirror in my pocket. You know- people laughing about how I checked my appearance wherever I went and shit like that. My mates were real good about it though and really stuck by me during that embarrassing episode. After that, I had left the broken mirror in the bottom of my trunk unable to use it again and so I was glad to see that James had repaired it. Probably went through a lot of trouble of repairing it too- fixing broken enchanted two way mirrors sounds easier than it actually is.

Me and James played wizard chess for awhile before turning our attention to discussing quidditch and such. Later still we all had a nice desert and some steaming tea that night.

When evening came finally came-with my eyelids half falling from tiredness, James announced he was going to show me my new room. Apples ran upstairs to get it ready as I said goodnight to the Potters.

"Goodnight Sirius." Mr. Potter said with a warm smile.

Mrs. Potter gave me a peck on the cheek, "Sleep tight, dear and let us know if you need anything."

I followed James out of the room, turning back to look at my new family before I went upstairs. "Happy Christmas, and thanks for….everything."

They beamed as I turned and followed James into the hall and upstairs to my new room. It was clean and tidy, and the lights were still on from Apples' quick organization.

James showed me where everything was- including how the bathroom connected to the room through a side door. Then after saying goodnight, he went to leave and just before he shut the door behind him, he stopped.

"Happy Christmas mate."

"Happy Christmas James."

"Padfoot?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here."

"So am I."

He shut the door with a small snap and I slowly changed and pulled on my pajamas that James had lent me. I looked around the room. It was very big, decorated with warm hues of red and gold. I felt like I was back at Hogwarts or something.

There was a nice, cozy window seat, I sat up on it- my face against the glass. My breath was visible on the cold, frost covered pane. I stared out onto the moonlit yard- the clean, recently fallen snow looked like silver in what little light the moon was casting.

I sat there and thought about everything I had been through recently. I thought of my crazy adventure I had had, I thought of how at last I had found a real home filled with people who loved me, I thought of James and my other Marauder friends Remus and Peter, I thought of everything… and thought of how minus the godamn sleigh bells in the snow- my White Christmas was just like how I always wished it would be….

And I was tired. I climbed down from the window seat and made my way back to my large king size bed. I pulled the warm covers around me feeling safe, content, and at last… home for Christmas.


	9. The End

What the hell are you looking for here? The sodding story is over- leave me alone. What more do you want? "And we all lived happily ever after….?"

There's not a snowballs chance in hell I'm saying that. Of all corny things- that is the WORST. Happily ever after my ass…

It's possibly the worst ending to a story. Merlin's beard I hate it.

If I had to have an ending to this story…I would pick the ending of that muggle flick I saw, 'the Omen'…you know- when the kid turns around and smirks evilly at you? That would be my ending.

Mischief managed…


End file.
